


MEMORIES OF THE LOST PRINCE [A Henry Story 3]

by RinSolo



Series: [TUC] A Henry Story [3]
Category: The Underland Chronicles - Suzanne Collins
Genre: ...or maybe not?, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Filer OC, Forgiveness, Gen, Gnawer OC, Gregor the Overlander - Freeform, Henry's story comes to an end...for now, MORE adventure and fun and death, PTS stands for post-time-skip, Redemption, Sequel, Series Finale, Slight Gore that's why T-rated, Survival, Underland Chronicles - Canon Divergence, Underland Chronicles Book 4, Underland Chronicles Book 5, You Decide, actually he's PTS!Henry now, he's a badass now, hehe, nothing will be as it seems, only i know!, or not?, or post-traumatic-stress, soo will the questers find out?, welcome to the grand series finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 164,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23617432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinSolo/pseuds/RinSolo
Summary: [UNEDITED - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK; MAJOR EDIT AFTER COMPLETION]***This is a story of hatred, forgiveness, regret, and redemption.A story of friendship, devotion, and hardships - some overcome, some never defeated.A story of survival.***He has come so far - Henry, the exiled prince of Regalia, in what have now been two years of exile. You have been with him through his worst and best times, you saw him grow, saw him change - and saw him fall, literally and figuratively. Now he's finally climbed back to the top - at the peak of his power, of his confidence - will he stand tall... or will he fall again?No - Henry's story is still not over. He's made a name for himself as the Death Rider, but his true identity is still at stake. Will the people he once betrayed discover it? Strap yourself in and get ready for the final grand adventure with the Exiled Prince, the Death that flies in Darkness - and the obligatory Children's Crusade. Join him now, for his last shot at redemption, atonement and possibly even... a happy ending?***Please enjoy!
Relationships: Gregor Campbell & Henry, Gregor Campbell/Luxa, Henry & Original Character (Underland Chronicles), Henry & Ripred, Lizzie Campbell & Ripred, Luxa & Henry, Nike/Original Character, Ripred/Original Character
Series: [TUC] A Henry Story [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630933
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Fear

**Author's Note:**

> ATTENTION -  
> IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED YET, THIS IS THE LAST PART OF A TRILOGY OF MINE. PLEASE READ PART 1+2 BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THIS ONE, OR YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND MUCH, SADLY.  
> CHECK THE SERIES "[TUC] A Henry Story" FOR THE FIRST TWO PARTS!
> 
> DISCLAIMERS:  
> \- This part of the story takes place shortly before, during and slightly after books 4 and 5 of TUC, the contents of the canon books WILL be altered in some cases - book 4 will remain very close to canon, in a similar manner as previously book 2 and 3 - book 5, however, will be HEAVILY ALTERED (I personally dislike a lot of it, so prepare for it to be VERY DIFFERENT from canon - INCLUDING THE ENDING!)  
> \- For various reasons I have increased the amount of time that passes between book 3 and 4 from 6 months to 18 months, so don't be confused by that, please (and Gregor and Luxa have been aged up from 11 to 12 in the first book)  
> \- This story is only one side of a much larger and older TUC-AU I made around 2015-16, it originally included another OC of mine, but as she's part of the quester-team I chose to leave her out of this story, as she wouldn't be contributing much  
> \- Nothing here is random! Because the AU this story takes place in is so old and big, everything is pretty well thought-through, most (important) incidents serve a purpose, just like most characters  
> \- This story is split into 3 books (this is part 3, the previous 2 are published/completed at the moment, while only the first one is finalized)  
> \- There is a fanmade prophecy, the canon ones have not been changed though. Only interpreted differently  
> \- Yes, this is an AU, and in some cases, the AU goes beyond just the divergence in which Henry survives. I will (for the most part) not actively change canon beyond that, but non-confirmed/elaborated on things will be explained in a lot of cases  
> \- Proceed with caution if you have a phobia of heights, the darkness, or blood. Further content warnings are occasional, moderately graphic gore and depictions/inclusions of mental illnesses such as depression, PTSD, and panic attacks.  
> \- And finally - I am no survival-expert. I will mostly work with what happened in the TUC-canon, however, there will be some things that haven't been done or confirmed as well, I will keep it in the realm of possibility though
> 
> This is the cover image I drew for this story:  
> http://fav.me/ddudenb
> 
> For those of you, who love maps as much as I do - a (self-drawn) map of the Underland with various important locations marked:  
> https://sta.sh/01w8hpgyes0
> 
> And finally, a little overview of the most important characters (which is, admittedly, a little meme-y):  
> https://sta.sh/010q0cachm77

* * *

“It was a gigantic mass, a hundred feet tall, its roar was so loud it tore right through our eardrums! And the snout – I’m telling you, never before have I seen a creature like it, not even –”

“Henry, it was just a digger. You know that as well as I do, considering we talked to her for like ten minutes after she had realized we weren’t a threat.” Thanatos’ voice sounded resigned and Henry was almost certain the flier was rolling his eyes.

Annoyed, he gritted his teeth and tore his eyes away from his eager audience to glance at his bond accusingly. “Way to go, Death – I KNOW it was a digger, but how am I supposed to tell a story with nothing but cold, hard, facts? Imagination, Death, IMAGINATION is the key!”

From the corner of his eye, the exiled prince saw Thanatos roll his eyes indeed. “Right. Except they will tremble in awe anyway if you tell them you’ve faced a live digger. Right, you guys?” He glanced at the five mouse pups at Henry’s feet, who gawked at him, wide-eyed, and their family behind them, all unbelieving and fascinated.

“You can bet...” Cevian was the first to regain her ability to speak, “I thought diggers were extinct!”

“So did we... and so does everyone, I’m pretty sure”, Henry threw her a crooked grin. “But nope... they just moved further north after the humans came. They have an entire territory there, the one we talked to, said they were a colony of six individuals, and that they weren’t the only one either.” He exchanged a glance with Thanatos.

“Hardy creatures, the diggers, well, not really surprising, when you consider their size and mass. Not the smartest though”, the exiled prince mumbled that last part more to himself, picturing the gigantic mole with the pink nose and the dirt-crusted fur they had encountered, several miles north of Regalia.

“More! More! More!”, he suddenly heard an excited squeak and felt someone tugging at the fur of his boot. When Henry glanced down, he saw the creamy-white fur of Prisma, Curie’s eldest daughter.

He grinned down at the baby and stretched his hand out to allow her to climb up and sit on his shoulder. Her brother Cone was not nearly as enthusiastic as her. He was much too frightened by the image, Henry had painted in his head when describing the digger, to move from where he was cowering, pressed against his mother.

Cevian’s pups, Pascal, Octon, and Kepler, born only a month prior to those of her sister, were huddled together, gawking at him as well. Behind them were their parents, their uncle Pollux and numerous other nibblers, among which Cylindra and Platonius. Only Teslas was missing, of course, like Lovelace – though she had the excuse of having to run the colony, while all her partner was, was people-shy.

 _Oh come on, you spend more than four months out in the uncharted lands and you don’t bring me a SINGLE map?_ Henry heard Teslas’ first words he had welcomed him with, when he and Thanatos had arrived back in the jungle, maybe a week ago. He had presented the nibbler with many curiosities – but neither he nor Thanatos had even considered charting the lands they had explored. That hadn’t been why they had gone there – that’s what Henry had told Teslas too, regarding his disappointment.

Four months – the exiled prince grinned, going over the countless perils and adventures the time beyond the maps had brought with itself, the wonders and impossibilities they had seen, all very real and existent – only but a little beyond the world the humans referred to as the “Charted Underland”.

He had told the story numerous times – first to Lovelace and her children, then their children and friends, and finally, Teslas, who had been too lazy to move his hide out of his workshop once more, even for the sake of greeting old friends.

The colony had welcomed them as enthusiastically as they had after Henry had returned from his time at Kismet’s. There had been a party, and the first and utmost important thing had been for Henry to meet the new pups, Curie’s and Cevian’s.

Ever since then, they had stayed at the colony, sharing countless stories and catching up. _You miss them like I do, don’t you?_ Thanatos’ voice rang in his ears, what he had said one day, waking up in whatever cave they had been staying in, far east of the jungle.

Henry smiled. Yes, the vacation beyond the maps had been fun – even necessary in a lot of ways, but his flier had once more read his thoughts exactly, sensing his homesickness the moment it had kicked in. Though, maybe the term wasn’t the best to describe the longing for familiar faces, as “home” wasn’t anything Henry thought he still had.

Well, whatever it had been, they had apparently felt it both – and so decided four months were enough and it was time to return to familiar lands. It wasn’t like they couldn’t go back any day anyway. The colony had been their first destination, and they hadn’t made any plans as to where to go after, either.

“I made put... I sowwy...” A tiny voice suddenly interrupted Henry’s thoughts and he looked down.

The crowd had disassembled, for the most part, now that the story was over. Curie had taken her pups back to the nursery, they were still too small to leave it for longer periods of time.

Only Cevian and her three were still cowering in close proximity. Now, tugging at the fur on his boot was her youngest son Kepler, and he held in his tiny paw half of what had used to be a figurine of Henry and Thanatos. The dark-grey baby was staring at him from huge, remorseful eyes – he looked like he was about to cry – and Henry couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad. I brought you guys more figurines, didn’t I?” He had left his entire collection at the colony, before leaving for the uncharted lands, for they were needless weight to carry around, on a trip like that, and the pups loved to play with them. They had been over the moon, but as he had expected, half of them were broken in some way or another by now.

So, when he had returned, Henry had brought a bunch of new ones, carvings of the species he had encountered, as well as images of old friends or known faces – including a new one of himself and Thanatos.

“But the others won lem me pway witit. They say I make put...” He was now even closer to crying and curled against Henry’s leg, trying to hide in the fur of the boot.

“Hey, you SHARE the figurines, or you’re not getting any new ones!”, Henry called, staring at Kepler’s older siblings. They retreated beneath his accusing look and quickly nodded.

“See – they will share. And if they don’t, go tell your mom and she’ll handle it.” He exchanged a glance with Cevian and she nodded, glaring at her two older children.

“Besides”, Henry grinned down at Kepler. “You don’t happen to have the other half of this one, do you?”

“That was great, Henry, I’ll never forget the look on Kepler’s face when you glued the figurine back together with the substance we siphoned from that weird vine-tree-whatever-thing it was. That was actually one of the most useful finds of the whole trip.” Thanatos chuckled and his bond grinned. “I know.”

The flier was lying on the beach by the hot spring and in the process of eating a huge fish, he had caught earlier. “I missed them. Really. As much fun as our trip was... I missed them.”

Henry made an unidentifiable but approving sound while focused entirely on aiming. Thanatos winced when the projectile darted past him, it flew an almost perfect arch, whizzing through the outskirts of the thick layer of vines, that separated the clearing from the rest of the jungle, severing the ones it hit neatly. It disappeared out of sight for a moment, but then came flying back, only to instantly be caught by Henry. “Goodness, this thing is great”, he grinned, and the flier chuckled. “Let me guess – you were about to say – “if only I would have had it sooner”.”

“Oh, all the things it could have made easier!” Henry laughed. “But noo... Teslas HAD to have kept it “for later” – as if we couldn’t have made it together with Charos or the saddle. As IF.”

“Oh, we could have, but do you really think it is smart to make two new gadgets and have to learn to use both at the same time – especially if one of them is so foreign as a boomerang?” Between the vines, Henry hadn’t seen or heard Teslas coming, not while he hadn’t been focusing.

“Oh well, you have a point – WAIT, what the hell are you doing out here? You never leave your workshop... ever!”

The inventor chuckled. “I wanted to see the thing in action, finally. I mean, we made it only a few days after you had returned and I still hadn’t ever seen you use it. So, have you figured out how to throw it yet?”

Henry grinned at him, twirling the arch of bone and metal, that was maybe as long as his lower arm and had blades from whatever had been left over from the meteorite after they had forged Charos. “Eh, sort of, but I am only slowly getting the hang of this, to be honest, it’s much harder than it looks.”

He aimed again, throwing the boomerang approximately the way he had before, but now the projectile whizzed off in an entirely different direction and the exiled prince groaned. “This will take some getting used to...” He had stopped counting the occasions on which he had had to say that already.

“So, do you know what you want to do now yet?” Thanatos had silently watched his bond practice for a few minutes before he raised his voice to ask the question that had been on his mind for a while already. He was fine with just going with the flow usually, but he thought it was good to at least have an approximate direction to flow into.

Henry shrugged. “Not really. Except... I mean, we could go see Kismet, actually. I bet she’ll love our stories as much as the mouse pups – if not more. And I want to show her the saddle too.”

Thanatos chuckled. “From the way I know her, she’ll love it. Not that she’d have any reason not to.”

“Says the flier who almost screamed at me, the first time I ever showed him the design!” Henry grinned at Thanatos, a little condescendingly. His bond had stopped complaining altogether, as soon as he and Henry had started to get the hang of using the saddle properly, maybe two or so months after they had left, and since then, Henry used every opportunity to tease him about his prior prejudice against it.

Thanatos rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. Would you finally shut up about it? Be happy I even LET you try it. Because, you know, most – if not all – other fliers wouldn’t have.”

Henry sighed. “Sure. Whatever. But... you DID grow to like it. Come on, admit it – I know you did.”

“Never.”

The exiled prince shook his head. Sometimes he genuinely asked himself who of the two would win a competition of stubbornness – he or the flier. Henry pondered for a second, then made a mental note to write that onto the ever-growing list of more or less useless competition ideas he had started collecting in his notebook.

“Oh no, Thanatos, the saddle is great. Not even you should be able to deny that anymore”, Teslas suddenly spoke up. He had watched Henry practice as well, keenly observing and the flight patterns of the boomerang. “The agility alone it allows you – if I were to estimate, I’d say you’re about three or four times as fast at dodging and attacking, especially when facing grounded enemies.”

Henry grinned. “Very, very true. Or will you deny that too?” He put his hands to his hips and glared at his bond, who looked away.

“Whatever. Just... you know – it itches”, he mumbled, twisting his head a little, presumably to loosen the saddle-construction around his neck. They had, at some point, given up even taking it off, except to sleep – both, Henry the footgear and Thanatos the saddle itself, as it took way too long to get into it, and both of them had eventually gotten used to it just... being there at all times.

Henry laughed. “Oh, quit whining. We all know it’s worth it. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

Thanatos scoffed angrily. “Why are we even talking about this now? Weren’t we debating where to go next?”

Henry once more aimed and threw the boomerang, before answering. “Fair. Kismet’s, you said?”

“Kismet... she is the gnawer we made the vision aid for, and who taught you to use the advanced echolocation, isn’t she?” Teslas unexpectedly spoke up and Henry turned around to him. He forgot about the boomerang for a second, and only in the very last moment dodged it when it came flying back at him, crying out in surprise.

Teslas and Thanatos laughed and Henry cursed, walking over to where it had landed to pick it back up. “Yes she is... and STOP LAUGHING, it’s not that funny!”

Teslas was still slightly chuckling. “In all honesty, I’d like to meet her someday. If you truly go and see her soon, tell her I am glad I could help, by making the lens, and that I hope it helps her with – whatever she is doing.”

Henry smiled. “Will do.” He was sure she would appreciate the kind words, even if she probably wouldn’t show it.

The exiled prince was glad both Teslas and Kismet were smart and open-minded enough to look past the prejudice their species had against each other. You didn’t really come across nibblers expressing the wish to meet a gnawer or gnawers accepting gifts made by nibblers... ever.

For a second he thought they could, under certain circumstances, even be friends, as they had more things in common than he’d at first realized. But then again, they’d most likely never get the chance to meet.

They were staring at him. All of them. Henry could not make out faces, as much as he tried to focus. All he saw was an undefined mass of people, staring around him, gazing down at him – accusingly.

He was at the center, like in an arena, only he usually felt confident and strong in those – now all he felt was weakness and helplessness. No – he wasn’t like this anymore. Not weak. He wasn’t...

It was like their gazes burned holes into the shield of strength he had worked so hard to put up around himself, they burned it away, and all that remained was the boy – the weak and helpless boy he had been, nearly two years ago. Henry almost felt physically younger, like the crowd had stripped him of everything exile had taught him, everything he was so proud and confident about.

They needn’t say it, the words lied in their gaze, they were all silently screaming it, and Henry’s ears almost rang painfully, even if he couldn’t make out a single physical sound – _traitor. Worthless traitor. You need to die. You will die. Die._

He tried to move, to scream, to do... something, anything – but he couldn’t. It was like he had no control over his limbs anymore. A face now appeared, clear against the unidentified mass of others – it was Luxa.

She looked exactly the same as she had, back then, nearly two years ago. The twelve-year-old kid he had once regarded as something like a little sister, but now her, usually so expressive, light-purple eyes were cold and emotionless.

Her voice was louder than the rest, and even if Henry tried squinting his eye, her face remained clear in his sight, like it had burned itself into the back of his eyelid.

The screaming became unbearable, and his first impulse was to scream himself, to overrule the noise. The moment he thought his eardrums would burst, he jolted awake.

Henry realized he was sitting up straight, panting, his shirt was drenched in cold sweat and his throat lumped. He blinked a few times, trying to calm his breathing – it had been a dream, just a dream. There was nothing to be scared of.

He could envision his surroundings clearly, he was in his and Thanatos’ little bedroom cave, the flier lied against the wall, curled up in a ball, still soundly sleeping. He usually woke up when Henry had nightmares, but today had been exhausting – after their conversation with Teslas, Lovelace had had them fly to a number of places, among which the citadel, delivering some goods, and Thanatos was tired.

Henry decided to let the flier sleep and stood up. He would get some water and maybe walk a little, just to get his mind off the nightmare.

Maybe ten minutes later, Henry was sitting on the stones before the curtain of vines that led to the colony. He had his legs pulled on and was staring out into the dark jungle, trying to get behind the dream.

The nightmares had returned. They hadn’t plagued him at all, out in the uncharted lands, he couldn’t remember a single instance when he had woken up from one, during their four-month-stay. But they hadn’t just returned, as soon as he and Thanatos had gotten back to known territory, no, they had changed, too.

Henry vividly remembered the sensations of falling, of plummeting into a dark abyss, of drowning in blood – then, those of waking up alone, of Thanatos abandoning him, of being helpless and scared. But this... this was different. Much different.

“You okay?”

Henry had not envisioned him approaching, he was too focused on his thoughts to watch his surroundings. But now, the shady figure of Thanatos landed beside him on the stone and Henry sighed.

“I’m... The nightmares have returned.” Midway through the sentence, he had abandoned the thought of claiming he was fine. Thanatos wouldn’t believe him anyway, and he’d probably end up telling the truth at some point, so why even try denying?

The flier sighed. “Oh no. I thought you were finally rid of them.”

“Me too. But...”, Henry hesitated, “that’s not all. It’s... they... they are different now. I don’t know why or what happened, but it’s... It’s not like it was before. Not like anything before.”

He tried, to the best of his abilities, describing the dream to Thanatos, without his voice shaking too much. The flier just lied there and listened, the more Henry talked, the closer he inched to him.

“Why... where did that come from? What is it even supposed to mean?” Henry heard the frustration in his own voice and prevented the impulse to hit the rock he was sitting on with his fist.

Thanatos was silent for a moment. “It’s... it’s what you’re scared of. Your nightmares, they always represented your most prominent and immediate fears, you said before, remember?”

Henry nodded. “Yes, first the falling, then, losing you... but what even is this one? I don’t even understand what was happening.” Maybe, he thought, I don’t, because, in truth, I’m not trying very hard to understand. Because... I don’t want to understand at all.

His bond didn’t move. They sat in silence for a while, before Thanatos finally spoke up again. “Remember what we talked about before we left?”

“That we needed a vacation?” Henry almost chuckled. “Yes, I do.”

“No”, Thanatos shook his head, “not that. I mean what you said about Dalia. How you said it. And... how I said she placed her life in their hands.”

Unwanted memories flooded Henry’s mind at the mention of the name. He had wanted to forget Dalia entirely, but... “What are you talking about?” His voice was irritated now. Don’t make me understand, a voice was screaming at Thanatos inside his head, but of course, the flier couldn’t hear it.

“I mean... that you are scared. Scared you might have to do the same thing someday. Of what will happen if you do”, he paused for a second, “You are scared of them finding out the truth about you. About the Death Rider.”

Thanatos’ words hit Henry like a bucket of cold water, and only with utmost self-control, he kept himself from slamming his fist against the stone. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He realized his voice was cracking from uncried tears. No... Not again.

Henry knew perfectly well Thanatos was right. At this point, they knew each other better than they knew themselves, which could be a blessing and a curse, depending on the situation. Sometimes the flier read his mind way too easily, for Henry’s taste, yet he was also grateful for it, to some extent. After all, Thanatos usually had no trouble voicing the things he himself hadn’t the courage or the words for.

“I do. And you know it”, was all he responded, and Henry didn’t have the strength to protest.

“I don’t want to”, he whispered, almost inaudibly. “I hate it. I don’t... I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

“I know. But, as much as you want to believe becoming stronger and better at handling yourself will eliminate the fear, you can’t extinguish one with the other. That’s not how it works.”

Henry swallowed. “It’s... I wanted... I hoped it would disappear... after we left. The fear, I mean. I wanted to leave because I wanted to... I didn’t want to deal with that fear anymore. I just wanted it to... go away.”

“And it did”, his bond continued, “but as soon as you returned, the fear did too.”

Henry nodded and closed his eye. He finally lied down and pressed his face into Thanatos’ fur. Don’t cry now, he thought, yet couldn’t stop a single tear escaping his eye. “I hate it. Being scared... being scared of such a trivial, STUPID thing.” His voice was barely audible.

“It’s not stupid”, Thanatos muttered. “Actually, that’s a very real and valid... concern. Though I do think your mind is exaggerating it. It’s understandable, to an extent, but... first of all, you don’t even know when you’ll see them again. It’s not like we’re planning a trip to Regalia any time soon. And then... do you really, honestly believe them finding out is something to be so scared of?”

Henry had no response to that. In truth, that was a huge part of why he was so scared in the first place – because he had absolutely no idea how it would go, what they would say, how they would react. Or who exactly “they” even were.

“You know what”, Thanatos continued after a while, “let’s... let’s just avoid any human settlements for the time being. I mean, we’re back in known territory, but that doesn’t mean we have to go see humans again, right? We’ll just... not see them until you’re comfortable with doing so again. What do you say?” All Henry did, was nod. That sounded like a plan.

After maybe ten minutes of lying in silence, Thanatos finally spoke again. “We should really leave soon. The colony, I mean. Maybe actually go see Kismet. Splintleg too. How about testing this oh-so-great saddle in the arena? Sounds fun?”

Henry smiled meekly. He was eternally grateful Thanatos was trying to take his mind off the worries, and... yes. That did sound like fun.

“So, three times the crops, and these two buzzer wings. You’ll get an entire cave full of cloths for them from the spinners”, Henry audibly counted, while Thanatos shoved the supplies in the direction of the entrance to the citadel. He was assisted by two crawlers who inspected the goods, before taking to carrying them down into the stronghold.

“Will receive three containers of fuel, the Wielder of Light and Rider of Death, will receive”, Zick, who was standing next to Henry, supervising the process, informed him.

“And what about that medicine? I’m almost out of painkiller and disinfectant. You do have some, right? That’s what the wings are for”, the exiled prince stared down at him, eyebrow raised.

The crawler twitched his antenna approvingly. “Will receive medicine too, will receive.”

“Nice”, Henry grinned, going over the little stash of supplies the crawlers now fetched for him. “Man, did I underestimate the power of economics.”

“Told you so”, Thanatos chuckled, and his bond elbowed him. “Oh, shut up. Nobody likes told-you-so’s”

Almost an entire month had passed, since the two had returned from the uncharted lands, and they had left the nibbler colony maybe around three weeks ago.

From there, they had, at the last minute, decided against going straight to Kismet. Henry had had the feeling if they would go there now, they would stay for several weeks more than they planned, like always when they visited the wise rat. And Henry wasn’t in the mood for that, at the moment.

He’d much rather go out to the Dead Land, maybe fight in the arena, and travel around a bit, instead of staying in the same spot for a prolonged period of time – again. With something like surprise, he had realized he wasn’t used to being sedentary anymore. Not after having spent four months on constant travels.

Now, he and Thanatos had just returned from the west coast of the waterway. They were in the middle of the second iteration of what Henry had started calling the “trading run”. He had, soon after they had left the nibblers, discovered that their supplies were running out, and he and Thanatos had brainstormed a few ideas on how to get more.

There weren’t any immediate mercenary jobs, and they could only earn so much in the arena – the rats seemed to be mostly out of supplies themselves, so they had been forced to improvise.

 _Well, what do the different species want? You must surely know that by now!_ The flier’s question rang in his ears and Henry grinned. It was, in all honesty, really easy.

He had gone around trading with singular species so much, these last two years, he had suddenly given it some thought how to make his trading even more efficient and worthwhile. He and Thanatos had compiled lists of goods they knew different species preferred, and the first time they had gone and visited every single of their trading partners, they were able to offer them exactly what they needed.

Get one thing from those guys, to give to the other guys, who’ll give you what the guys next to them want – and have all of them give you a bit of what you want too. It had been... a full-on success, by all means.

Crops for the crawlers, buzzer wings for the spinners, bones, and furs for the flutterers, and so on. Henry was positively surprised with himself he found he knew so much about every species now, that he was able to even do this. Thanatos had been proud of him – hell, he’d been proud of himself. He still was. Vikus would be proud too, it had then occurred to him, and the thought had stung bittersweet.

Now, they were at one of their last stops for this second trading round, at the citadel. They were almost done here too, and once more Henry considered if they shouldn’t go and say hello to Kismet, now that they were so close to where she lived anyway.

If he was entirely honest with himself, he missed her greatly. They hadn’t seen each other in almost half a year and Henry thought that was far too long. In fact, he was surprised at how much of a close friend he had started considering her, as of recent

Yes, she could be cynical and cold, but she had also been... surprisingly affectionate towards Henry, especially after he had passed the second threshold, almost exactly a year ago. He owed her so much, even his own life – hadn’t she carried him away from the lake, after he had thought he had lost Thanatos, he’d most likely still be there.

Henry suddenly pictured her, sitting alone in her cave full of the carvings that made up her research, surrounded by the figurines he had left her, and an incredibly strong want to see her suddenly engulfed him.

Henry turned his head to where he envisioned Thanatos, to tell him he wanted to go see Kismet – but before he could open his mouth, his echolocation picked up the agitated tapping of many crawler-feet.

Thanatos already rose, head tilted in their direction, and Henry picked up the torch that was standing closeby and shone it their way. He made out maybe ten or so crawlers, streaming towards the citadel, from a tunnel that led in the approximately same direction as the Path of Styx, the way to Kismet. Suddenly, worry rose in the exiled prince and he intercepted them – “Hey, where are you going? Is something the matter? We’re not under attack, are we?”

The leader of the crawlers vibrated his antennas. “Not attack, not attack”, his voice was almost trembling in fear and Henry’s own worry rose. He bit his lip. “Then what is it?”

A different crawler spoke up now, and his words shook the exiled prince to the core. “Retreat, we must, retreat. The earth is giving fire, is giving fire.”


	2. Hubris

It took Henry a few seconds to decipher the words of the crawler, but then he realized “the earth is giving fire” could really only mean one thing – a volcanic eruption.

He and Thanatos exchanged glances. Henry’s mind started reeling, he turned to the next crawler he saw and yelped out “where? Where is the volcano?”

When the crawler turned in the direction of the Path of Styx, panic at last engulfed the exiled prince. He didn’t need to explain anything to Thanatos, the flier already cowered on the floor, waiting for him to mount up.

Henry didn’t bother informing the crawlers where he was going before the flier lifted off and darted into the Path of Styx, should they worry for him if they wanted. He had his own worries.

All he could think was Kismet. Was the volcano close to where she lived? Hadn’t someone once said she lived in the crater of a volcano? An inactive one, but still.

Henry heard the volcano long before he saw it. His hearing was focused, to the best of his abilities, and he heard the rumbling long before they saw the first hint of the orange glow.

Thanatos dove out of a tunnel into a cave – the cave Henry had passed the second threshold in. He recognized the ledge he had always sat on, and his eye darted over to where the water had dripped from the ceiling. Now, it wasn’t water anymore.

Hot, seething lava streamed into the cave, from somewhere above them. At first, it immediately cooled into stone, the moment it hit the floor, but then parts of the ceiling gave way and Thanatos barely dodged the stream of lava that now began filling the cave at non-negligible speed.

“Down! We need to warn Kismet!”

Thanatos dove into the tunnel that led to the rat’s home cave at once. Henry thought Kismet most likely knew about the volcano, but what else should he have said? He didn’t think a call to save her would have been appropriate – she had most likely evacuated someplace safe on her own by now. Check on her – that was it. That’s what he wanted. He wanted the confirmation she was indeed safe.

Though her cave lies beneath this one, Henry thought, an uneasy feeling rising in his chest. What if the eruption had caught her by surprise, what if...?

Thanatos crossed the narrow, winding tunnel that led down, towards Kismet’s cave – or he wanted to. In the last second, he darted upward, before the hot, hissing stream of lava that had found its way down here, had had the chance to hit him.

The flier stayed as close to the ceiling as he could, Henry still felt he had started to sweat from the relentless heat. This was... impossible. This cave... he saw the cliff, the one that led down, the one he and Kismet had climbed so many times, over the course of his stay here. His gaze darted in the direction of the entrance to her home cave, as soon as it came into view and froze in shock.

Kismet’s cave, the cave he had slept and eaten and trained and cried in, for almost seven months, was... flooded with lava. It stood almost to the ceiling, Henry just about made out the outskirts of some of Kismet’s carvings.

He cried out, shocked and scared – where was she? “KISMET!”, Henry screamed her name, even if he almost couldn’t hear his own voice, over the deafening rumbling of the volcano. It must be somewhere really close by.

Thanatos understood him without words – they needed to go search for her. He followed the cliff this time, back into the direction of the Path of Styx. But where was Kismet?

Henry knew she must have saved herself to a higher area, she must have... she was smart and enduring and... and a volcano couldn’t have gotten the best of her, could it?

He meant to ask Thanatos to fly back up, she would surely be smarter than to flee downward, but then he heard it. Without his enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t have, not even remotely – but then he realized Thanatos wasn’t just randomly flying in a direction, no, he was following a sound.

Henry wouldn’t have even spotted her, hadn’t he heard the sound of her breathing, heavy and choppy. He had trouble locating it at first – where was she? His eye scanned the surroundings, was she somewhere higher up, on a ledge perhaps?

Then, Thanatos landed – on the floor. The stream of lava was still a considerable distance away, but it would reach them soon.

Henry was just about to ask why the flier had landed when he darted forward, towards a niche, maybe a few feet above ground.

“Kismet!”, Henry cried when he, at last, spotted her – and almost couldn’t believe what he saw. Was that... Kismet? He could almost not make her out in the dim light, she cowered in the shade of the niche, pressed against the back of it. Was she... trembling?

Thanatos leaped at her, sticking his head into the niche. “Kismet, come out of there, the lava will be here soon! We’ll carry you to safety.”

Henry heaved himself up and crawled in with her, throwing concerned glances in the direction from where he expected the lava. “Kismet, it’s us! Come on, what are you doing in there? You can’t hide from the lava in here!”

At first, she didn’t respond at all. Only a few seconds after he had addressed her, she slowly turned her head and the expression Henry saw in her eye frightened him.

“LEAVE!”, her hiss was loaded with so much spite Henry jolted back and nearly fell out of the niche.

“But...” Before he could speak on, Kismet darted up. The attack caught him off-guard and her tail hit him directly in the chest, catapulting him out of the niche. Thanatos caught him in the last second before he could hit his head on the stone floor.

“Kismet! It’s us, don’t you recognize us?” He rose in confusion yet determined to get behind whatever was going on. His jaw clenched as Henry heard the lava clearly now, he knew it would be less than a minute before it would start seeping into the tunnel. They had to do something, and fast.

“I told you to LEAVE!” Kismet leaped out of the niche at last, but before she could pin him to the ground, the now more prepared prince rolled off and dodged. His hand automatically reached for his sword, but no. This was all wrong. He didn’t want to fight Kismet. Not outside of training.

“Kismet, what are you doing? Don’t you know the lava is...” But before Thanatos could finish his sentence, the light-grey gnawer interrupted him with a deafening hiss. “The lava... THE LAVA... let it come! Fly yourself away from here, boy, or it will swallow you as it swallowed me.”

Henry furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about? You’re alive – it swallowed nothing yet! Kismet, stop arguing, come on, we don’t have time for this...” He glanced nervously at the entrance to the tunnel, at the first outskirts of glow.

Her response was a deafening scream. Kismet staggered back, she didn’t attempt to attack him anymore but when Henry looked her in the eye he instantly knew something was wrong. “Kismet, what is...?”

“It DEVOURED NOTHING YOU SAY?”, she screeched, her voice so high-pitched and distorted with pain it was almost unrecognizable. “It DEVOURED ME! THE WORK... ALL THE WORK... the research, the years of... the cave...” Her voice grew quieter the more she spoke, it was shaking and she barely stammered – but Henry understood anyway.

His gaze darted back in the direction of her cave and a wave of shock inundated him. It hadn’t just been her cave, no, it must have flooded her underground archives too. Images of caves with walls filled to the last inch with writing, sketches – her research over – however many years – it was all... lost.

Henry glanced back at her. He only had to take one look at the expression in her remaining eye – it had grown dark, misted, almost lifeless. It’s all she had to live for, he realized. She lived... for this, for her research, her studies... all of it. She... had nothing else.

Panic threatened to overwhelm him as he suddenly realized she had no intention of escaping the lava. Henry helplessly glanced at Thanatos yet the flier looked as desperate as the exiled prince felt.

Then again, as well as he knew Kismet wouldn’t come willingly, he also knew he couldn’t leave her behind. He couldn’t.

Henry forced his reeling mind to think, to come up with something... anything, that would convince her. “We need you... need you to come, please!” He almost didn’t recognize his own voice, it was shaking.

Kismet simply scoffed. She didn’t even bother climbing back into the niche, only collapsed on the floor where she stood.

Henry’s bit his lip so hard it hurt. He had to – something suddenly hit the tip of his boot. When the exiled prince looked down, he saw Thanatos had rolled over a stone, a stone fitting his slingshot.

His eyes fixated on it. Should he...? He glanced at her and instantly knew he would never convince her to come willingly, not Kismet. But he couldn’t let her die either.

Determinately he picked up the stone. By the time he had fetched and loaded his sling, Kismet had raised her gaze, one last time. Something in the way she looked at him told him she knew exactly what he wanted to do. Yet the scariest part was that her gaze... her gaze pleaded. Silently pleaded for him... not to do it.

A shiver ran down his spine, but his mind was made up. Henry bit his lip harder as he faced the gnawer he had once called mentor – friend – maybe even family. He didn’t have to think twice – he aimed and shot.

The stone hit Kismet’s forehead, she had attempted to crawl away, too weakened to stand or fight, but when she was struck, she instantly collapsed. Henry realized his plan had had a fault when he attempted to lift her up to load her onto Thanatos’ back – she was too heavy.

At the last second, he and the flier had, with joined efforts, finally managed to get her onto his back. They lifted off only moments before the first creek of lava ran through the tunnel. More followed soon, and not long after the entire floor was covered in it.

Henry was firmly gripping Kismet’s light fur as they flew. He had no idea where Thanatos was going, but he didn’t really care too much anyway. All cared about was getting Kismet out of here.

It didn’t take long until his face pressed into her fur. “We’ll get you out. We’ll keep you safe”, he whispered, and somehow he thought she understood.

Henry sat, leaned against the wall of the cave, with his legs pulled on – staring at Kismet.

Maybe half a day had passed since they had saved and taken her back to the citadel. Even though the crawlers had been frightened at first, once Henry had told them she was friendly and that her home had been destroyed, they had allowed them to take her inside.

The fortress itself had remained untouched by the lava, it was too far away, though the river that streamed beneath had swelled and flooded most of the lower floors. The damage was non-negligible and Henry heard the crawlers working on fixing the leaks constantly. At least the citadel hadn’t collapsed entirely. The upper floors were fairly safe, and here they were now – out of immediate danger, but Kismet had still not moved.

Henry knew she must be conscious – at least to an extent. Too much time had passed. But he dared not force her to move or interact with him. He remembered how she had treated him when she had taken him to her cave after he and Thanatos had fallen down the waterfall.

 _Drink, before I stuff the entire water bag down your throat._ He heard the hoarse rumble of her voice and smiled, though melancholy.

Then Thanatos fluttered in, his wings nearly knocked over the torch that stood in the corner. “I bring fish. It’s really a far trek to the next safe fishing grounds”, he exhaled and threw four big fish at Henry’s feet, before landing next to him. “At least I can get into this place at all, with the flood damage. She still out?”, he glanced at Kismet.

His bond nodded before picking up one of the fish. He wasn’t too hungry himself, but Kismet probably hadn’t eaten the entire day. Determinately, he stood up and walked over to her, before kneeling beside her. Henry swallowed at the sight of her limp body, her shut eye. “You have to eat”, he dropped the fish next to her face. Kismet didn’t even flinch.

Henry bit his lip. “Kismet, I know you can hear me. I will not let you die – even starve yourself to death.” He paused for a second, “eat, or I will shove the fish down your throat whole!”

A slight rumble finally ran through her body, like something within her wanted to laugh, but she didn’t have the strength.

“Kismet, answer me!” His desperation grew with the second. “Come on, you are stronger than this. Kismet!” He carefully extended a hand to touch her shoulder.

Finally, the light-grey rat opened her eye a little, though the look in it shook Henry to his core. It was as misted as before – yet somehow even worse. “Leave... me...”

Were it not real, he would not believe it. Henry looked at her, at the lifeless, apathetic figure on the floor, and tried to force himself to understand this was her... the same Kismet who he had learned to respect and trust so much. Never before had he seen her even remotely this vulnerable – he had almost not thought “vulnerable” was something she was capable of being.

He shook his head and suppressed his own trembling. The tables were nigh-exactly turned. Here he was, cowering over a dejected Kismet, trying to convince her to eat – as she had him, almost a year ago.

“No”, Henry spoke firmly, “I’m not giving up on you. You didn’t give up on me either, remember?” He carefully raised a hand to stroke her shoulder. “Come on, come up, it’s not over yet. You’re alive, and you’re not going to die any time soon. Not on my watch.”

Something in his words must have reinvigorated her as Kismet’s body stiffened up. Henry wasn’t prepared for it when she jumped up, proceeding to cower on all fours, her eye darker than he had ever seen it.

“It’s not over yet?” Never before had he heard a voice loaded with so much pain. “It’s not...”, she broke off, one of her legs gave way and she almost lost balance. “It’s all... gone. Everything. I... I worked for ten... no, eleven... twelve years... I wrote it all down, on the walls, because walls are safe, I thought, walls can not be lost or destroyed, I felt smart about it, I...”

Her voice was shaking and Henry realized she was nearly crying. “It is ALL GONE!” The shriek vibrated his ears and he squinted.

“ALL OF IT! ALL OF MY WORK, MY... my life. It was my life... my life... I have... I have no other reason.” She finally collapsed again yet raised her head a little to keep her eye on him. “Every day when I wake up, I tell myself I have to get up...”, she spoke “get up... because my research waits for me. That one theory I left untested, that inconsistency I couldn’t vanquish... I leave them on purpose, you know?”

Her voice broke and Henry realized he was holding his breath.

“I leave them unsolved... to have a reason to get... to get back up again, to have a... a reason to not remain lying until death claims me... until...”, she hesitated before crying – “and WHAT HAVE I NOW? It is GONE! BURIED! I HAVE NO REASON... to... get... up...”

Henry was frozen solid. Her words rang in his ears over and over and he was clenching his fist until his nails dug into his skin. Never before had he even caught a glimpse at this side of Kismet, she had never let him. Hidden it almost... frighteningly well. What else was she hiding, he inevitably asked himself as he stared at her quivering shape.

Then her scars caught his eye – had he not once pondered whether she’d ever put herself in danger on purpose, like he had when he had fought in the arena while Thanatos had been gone?

It had seldom happened before, yet now he was at a loss of words. Henry wasn’t the best at comforting people, and now... now all he really knew was that he wanted to somehow show her HE needed her. But... how?

“You... you can find a different reason.” The voice of Thanatos interrupted his thoughts and Henry’s gaze darted over to his bond. He suddenly realized Thanatos knew better than most people what she was going through. All too well he remembered his flier’s own story.

But all Kismet did was scoff. “NEVER! It was all... ALL I HAD... left...”

Despite her words she rose up again, and something suddenly fell to the floor from one of the pockets in the broad leather belt that enveloped her upper body. Henry’s eye darted to it and he scooted closer only to pick it up and extend his hand to her, his hand that held the vision aid – the same way as he had when he had first given it to her. “Watch out, you’ll need this!”

Kismet stared at him for a second and finally took the lens before she let out a high-pitched scream and violently tossed it against the wall.

Henry’s jaw dropped as he stared at the shards of glass among the broken and twisted frame – all that had remained from his gift. Her face, when she had first looked at him through it, burned in his mind. Henry thought he had never seen her happier. More... innocent.

It was like the now shattered pieces of glass pierced his own heart – nothing she had ever done or said to him had hurt as much as... “There is nothing I would have NEEDED that for anymore.”

Everything within Henry screamed at her – no, you can’t just do that, you can’t just... While he knew all too well why she had done it.

She thinks she will die. She thinks she has... no need for it anymore, because she is firmly convinced she will die, he thought. Maybe that was why it hurt so much. Because there was genuinely nothing he could do.

“Kismet...” His voice was barely a whisper, but she took no notice of it. Instead, she collapsed back to the floor and her eye fell shut.

Henry felt Thanatos pressing his head into his back, in an attempt to comfort. “Give her time”, he mumbled. Henry knew he was right, but he couldn’t stop the tears from rising in his eye regardless.

“You need to eat something, Kismet.” It was so late he thought he would go to bed soon, yet Henry still cowered at her side, Thanatos next to him. Even though he had asked his bond to let her be, even the flier agreed they should at least convince her to eat and drink.

Earlier, he had poured the contents of his water bag into her mouth and Kismet hadn’t objected. But Henry knew he couldn’t force-feed her as well. She would need to find the strength to eat herself.

“Kismet, come on, I’m not leaving you alone before you have eaten this fish. You know very well I can be stubborn!” He placed it before her nose and her eye slowly fluttered open. Her gaze was strangely misted, in a different way than before, almost.

“Kis... met”, her mumble was almost inaudible. “Who is... Kismet...?”

Henry frowned. “You... Kismet, that’s your name. Don’t you... remember?”

All she did was shift to avert her gaze. “No... not Kismet. I am not... I don’t want to be...”, her voice broke and she coughed. When the fit was over, she moved to look at him again. “I... I was her for a while. I was Kismet, she who defied destiny... who WAS destiny. That’s why he called me... Kismet.” Her eyelid fluttered, “But he was wrong. You can never defy destiny.”

Thanatos had now inched closer too, and Henry stared at her intensely, trying to come to terms with what she had just said. “What... what are you talking about? Who is he? And what... you’re Kismet... you were always... Kismet. Were you not?”

She actually managed a lough, though it was weak and hoarse. “No... not always. Not always. I tried to be her... to erase who I had been before, but that is not how... You can change...”, she whispered, “can try to change who you are... but never run from yourself.”

Henry’s mind reeled. This... why did this sound so... familiar?

Yet before he could dwell on the thought more, she spoke on – “There is a name for what I did. the fliers speak of it as... “hubris”. I challenged nature, I... I thought myself above it, my ambition and pride won over my instinct... and it took everything from me, everything I ever held dear.”

She was shaking. “Leave me be, pup. Whoever or whatever is still left of... me. I am not... not as honorable as you think. Not even remotely. I... I attempted to bury it all, to forget it, to erase it, to be someone... someone I could... you could... be proud of, but I failed. Now I am not even Kismet anymore. Now I am... nobody. Nothing. All that awaits me is death, yet I have no fear. It will... free me”, she released a hoarse laugh, “it will... erase me at last.”

Henry sat above her with his hand raised to touch her. It was shaking. Her words from way back rang in his ears suddenly – _Everyone can be broken. Take it from someone who had the same arrogance in her youth, and who had to learn she was wrong the hard way._

Henry’s voice barely obeyed him yet he forced himself to speak. “If you’re not... Kismet, who is she then?” He was scared of the answer, yet he knew he had to know. And maybe... it would give him something to say, to convince her what she claimed was wrong.

For the first time ever since he had met her, he saw something like a hint of fear in her eye. But it was also clouded again, like the delirium had gotten the best of her once more.

She remained silent for so long that when she at last spoke, Henry had nearly given up on receiving an answer at all. “Defend...”, she whimpered, “Defend... the garden. Defend the garden! Defend THE GARDEN! DEFEND THE GARDEN!”

Henry winced as her voice shifted to a desperate scream and barely registered Thanatos at his side stiffen. “You...”

Her cry broke as he raised his voice and her eye stared at him through the grey of mist. “Defend...”, she whispered, “I... I was just supposed to... to defend... the garden. Defend the garden, he said, defend it... at all costs.” She voiced a hoarse laugh. “It was not... not worth it... not at those costs.”

“The... garden...” Henry twitched as Thanatos whispered the words beside him. “Defend... the garden...?”

“What are you...”, but before he could finish his sentence, Thanatos rose and cried – “This is impossible! I... I did not... not... they said she died... died... during interrogation...?”

Henry turned to him, like in a trance. “What... are you talking about?”

Something in the look in his bond’s amber eyes unsettled him. “She... I can not believe it. She is...”, his head darted over to Kismet, “Are you... Whitespur?”

A visible jolt ran through Kismet’s body at the name. “Defend the garden...”, she whispered once more, her claw scraped the floor like she pictured herself on a long-relinquished battlefield. “He ordered to defend the garden. I had to do it... oh, why did I do it...? Why did I not...? When Ripred urged to run away with him, to live out of the reach of orders, of injustice, and pointless wars, I could not...” She seized speaking and broke into incomprehensible whimpers.

Henry’s head spun and he had to lean on Thanatos to keep himself from collapsing.

“White...spur?” His eye was on Kismet, but soon darted over to Thanatos, thinking he’d more likely get an answer out of him than the only half-conscious gnawer.

His bond sighed. He did not look at Henry when he started talking. “You know how... Gorger, when he was alive, had... five generals? Substitutes, to carry out his commands and keep order among his people. Longclaw and Goldfang you killed yourself, and Gregor watched Snare die in the Labyrinth. The fourth one, Bonebreak, you encountered – but only briefly.”

Henry furrowed his brows at the name. “I know that name”, he mumbled finally, “Wasn’t he... the one who wanted to publicly execute you, back when we first met? The big, black one?”

Thanatos nodded. “Bonebreak... he is still out there. But the fifth one... the fifth one, she... she led the defense of the Garden of the Hesperides, as Ripred described when he told the story. She was not anyone either, Gorger’s right hand they called her, some even”, his gaze darted at Kismet, “his elected successor. Though she and Longclaw were in constant dispute for the position. But then... I have no idea why or what had happened, between her and the king, but... I remember it. He left her there, for the humans to... capture. He”, Thanatos hesitated, “it was almost like he... betrayed her. She was seized, and after a while, rumors of her death began to spread, she had supposed to have died during... interrogation.”

The flier stared at Kismet who hadn’t moved a muscle, though she must hear him perfectly well. “Her name... was Whitespur. Whitespur the Cunning... the Huntress... the...”

“... Whitespur... the Custodian.” Kismet’s voice was hoarse. “I always liked that one the most. Though in truth... I hated them all.”

Henry’s gaze darted at her, his eye widened. “You... Death, you didn’t recognize her?” It was the only one of his thoughts he had the strength to utter. His bond shook his head. “No, it has been far too long, and... everyone assumed Whitespur was dead. They publicly announced it. They... How would I have...?”

The exiled prince leaned back against him only to feel his strained tremble. A hundred questions reeled in his mind, yet he had no idea which to ask first. “Kismet...”, he finally mumbled, for all else escaped him, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You still call me that...?”, she hissed, “Even after...”

“Always. You’re always going to be... Kismet. Destiny. Nothing will change that.” Henry took a deep breath, “I don’t... care who you were before, I know who you are now, that is more than enough.”

Something in her gaze shifted. It almost looked like she was trying to smile. “You... he... Ripred told me it wouldn’t end well. He urged me to run away, but I couldn’t. Couldn’t abandon my... my people... my king... my duty. I was... caught in it. I would have done anything for him, for Ripred... you know?”, she managed a smile at last, “Only this... I could not.”

Henry swallowed and inched closer. Despite all he wanted to ask, he didn’t interrupt.

“I could not just run away, I wanted to serve the people who believed in me, trusted in me to lead them. To be loyal to my king... But also to Ripred. Oh, Ripred. I knew he wanted the crown, and I knew he was better suited for it, but... not even when I... when I had the pups...”

Her voice cracked, “I was a coward. I did not stand with them, I had to... to keep them a secret, Gorger would have never allowed it, so I had to give them away, give them to Ripred, I thought they would be safe, but...”

She broke off and began scraping the floor again, with more force this time. Henry barely saw the glistening of a tear in her eye. “He... it wasn’t his fault, not his fault... they were there, that day... they were... in the garden, in the caves...”

Henry had to support himself on the floor to not collapse from the horrid image that formed in his head. “They... drowned.”

“I can still hear them...”, she cried, “I can hear them, hear Nox... hear Lumen... hear them cry for me... every night.” She raised her gaze at him and Henry shivered at the emptiness in it. “I... Whitespur... died that day. She died... with them.”

Henry’s head was still spinning. He wanted to say so many things, they all clogged his head like furious insects, but before he could speak at all, she continued – “Gorger must have found out... I think. That they were mine... that they were Ripred’s. He left me for the humans, he abandoned me... betrayed me. But nothing they did could phase me. Not... anymore. I told them all I knew, I had no loyalty left for Gorger, but they... they thought I knew more. They asked questions I couldn’t answer, they...” Her right paw twitched, like she wanted to raise it but hadn’t the strength.

“Your eye...”, it had only been a whim, but she nodded. “They wanted to take the other too... but Ripred... Ripred came, and he got me out. He told me I could stay with him, with him and his gang of outcasts... and so I did.”

She took a deep breath. “Yet I refused to call myself Whitespur anymore. Not anymore. I wanted not to be her. Her who had abandoned her flesh and blood, her heart... for a king who had not stood with her in her darkest hour. I wanted, wanted... To be someone...”, she twitched, “someone... new. Someone... better. And Ripred, he knew me, he knew I always talked about defying destiny. So he... he called me... Kismet.”

She released her breath though it sounded suspiciously like a scoff. “But, well, Destiny wouldn’t have it, as it seems.”

Henry winced at the now uncomfortable sound of the claw she dragged over the floor. “Life together was not what we had envisioned it to be”, she hissed, “not anymore. Not after... We... we argued more than we did not, and... and he reminded me of... of them. Every glance at him was like... like seeing them again, like Nox, like Lumen...”

Henry sat so close to her he felt the slight tremble of her body. “I left... maybe half a year later. To live... here... here, as far away from them all... from him... as possible. I wanted to... to start over”, she finally raised her gaze at him, “I wanted to reinvent myself. To become someone I... I could like again. I became... Kismet.”

A moment of silence passed and then her eye fell shut, leaving Henry next to her – utterly speechless.

Henry had no idea how much time had passed, a couple hours maybe, yet he could not bring himself to go to sleep. They had left Kismet alone and retreated into a corner to try and wrap their heads around what she had revealed.

“It... It all makes sense now”, Henry’s voice was bitter and his hands clenched hard around his pulled-on legs. “Why she’s a hermit, even why Ripred said she hated humans.” Henry stared at the curled up figure of Kismet. She looked so haggard, so small, and so... defeated.

“I need to talk to her again”, he pressed his lips together at last. “I think... I think she needs it.”

Thanatos nudged him approvingly. “If anyone can get her out of this it will be the one who has been there himself.”

They exchanged glances before Henry at last stood up and made his way over to her. “Kismet...” Henry sat down next to her, unsure of what to say. “Kismet... answer me, please.”

She produced a hoarse sound before slowly opening her eye. It was clouded again, she stared past him, and it took her a few seconds to speak, yet when she did so Henry instantly turned to unmoving stone.

“You... N... Nox, is that you? Where is your sister, where is Lumen?”

Henry stared her in the eye before finally blinking, unclenching his fist, then opening his mouth. “I’m right here.”

He failed to bring himself to tell her the truth, not when she was looking at him like this. “Lumen...”, he whispered, “Lumen is safe, she is... sleeping.” Kismet took another shaky breath as Henry scooted closer, leaned against her side and shakily raised a hand to stroke her fur.

“I abandoned you...” He sensed the quiver of her body, “I was a coward... I... I am sorry. I was a bad mother. So much worse than you would have deserved...”

Henry would not have been able to tell how or why but something about her words shook his very core. It was all but too late to stop the tear when he registered it dripped into her fur.

“No, no... never, it wasn’t your fault”, he cried, “you weren’t a bad mother, you were... the best. I could not imagine any better. Not in my wildest dreams!”

Kismet’s eye darted in his direction. “You... stop pretending, I know who you are”, she hissed and the exiled prince winced. “Do not play with me like this... Henry.”

He bit his lip yet held her gaze. “I’m not... playing. I... I’m just saying what I think he... they... would have said, could they speak now. It wasn’t your fault.”

She scoffed. “How was it not? I abandoned my pups... my children... to maintain my status, my power. I challenged nature, destiny... and I paid the price.”

“You did. But I don’t think they would hold it against you.” He swallowed as an idea rose from the depths of his mind. “And now, think of them. Would they have wanted you to give up? Or would they have wanted you to live?”

For a second he thought it had worked, as the expression in her eye shifted. “You...”, she let out something like a cough. “They should call you The Cunning.”

Henry gave her a sour smile. “Oh, I can be cunning. Especially in the attempt to save the people I care about. And”, he swallowed once more, “I know what it’s like, you know? To hate yourself so much you want to... to reinvent yourself. To become... more than the walking dead remains of your former self, to start fresh. To... die. To die and come back from the dead.”

For a second he held her murky gaze, and then he started talking. Henry talked about everything, his entire story. His home, Tonguetwist, his betrayal, the fall, about Thanatos saving him, and everything he had been through, after.

He laid bare his fears and worries, his regrets, yet also his achievements. His prides. Kismet only listened, she lied still, her eye closed further and further the more he spoke.

When Henry at last concluded with the loss of his eye and Ripred’s advice to seek her out, she remained lying perfectly still.

“You... I’ll tell you what a good friend of mine once told me when I was uncertain myself”, Henry gave her the most comforting smile he could muster up. “I know you far too well by now, to change my opinion on you because of something that happened in the past. You...”, his smile widened as he nudged her, “you are Kismet. You read people like books, somehow love those horrid Firebeetles, you kick ass. And you most certainly don’t give up on life because destiny’s salty you stole her name – or dared oppose her. Because that is... what you do.”

Kismet still remained silent. But when Henry reached for the fish he had left at her side and extended it to her, she only hesitated for a second – then she took it.


	3. Vanished

When Henry opened his eye, he was confused for a moment, as the fur he had been pressing his face into wasn’t black like Thanatos – it was light grey. He slowly raised his head and stared into the singular eye of Kismet, who was looking at him. He tried to determine if her gaze was accusing but couldn’t tell.

Henry suddenly felt a different head against his back and realized he, Thanatos and Kismet must have all fallen asleep in a single pile yesterday, after he had finally gotten her to eat.

The fact that she hadn’t protested was a clear sign of just how miserable she must have felt. Kismet had never shown any signs of needing or even wanting physical contact or closeness, though, Henry realized now, she must be starved off it, like Thanatos before they had met.

Why is it that all my new friends are so bad at admitting they need something – or someone, Henry thought and almost rolled his eye, before elbowing Kismet a little. “Want breakfast?”

The scarred gnawer didn’t protest this time, when Thanatos shoved a fish in her direction, and silently started eating, together with the flier and Henry.

The exiled prince was already asking himself if she was going to speak at all or if she had already said everything, yesterday, when she finally raised her voice. “I expect you to... be discrete with what I told you before. I will return the favor regarding your own story, boy.” She wasn’t looking at any of them.

Henry exchanged a short glance with Thanatos. Did she regret telling them? She almost looked like she did, then again, she had most likely never shared any of it before. He hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Of course. It’s your story, you’re the only one who gets to tell it.”

Her eye darted up at him and for a second he saw relief and sympathy in her gaze before she averted it again. “You have gotten yourself into a fairly big mess too, from what you told me. Though, to be fair, barely anyone resists the lures of Tonguetwist.”

She gave a dry chuckle. “Once, people called me a cunning bitch – but she is the only rat I know who deserves that title. At least you finally gave her what she deserved, in the end. The world will not miss her.”

“That is very true”, Henry grinned. “You should have seen her face.” He proceeded to tell the story of how she and Longclaw had died in all detail, and when Kismet heard what trick he had used to divert her attention, she finally broke into vigorous laughter. “Henry – oh Henry, why the HELL did you not invite me? I would have given... a lot, a LOT... to see that.”

“It was pretty epic”, the exiled prince admitted. He sighed while contemplating how to say this next part. “You... You made the right decision to trust me... us. We are your friends, and if this last year has taught me anything, then that keeping too many secrets is almost the worst thing you can do between friends.”

Henry wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw her give him a somewhat grateful nod. “Thought... I have to ask”, a wide grin spread on his face, “didn’t you once say Ripred was NOT your sweetheart?”

Only in the last second, the exiled prince managed to dodge her incoming tail, and only because he had been prepared. “Hey... I was just verifying the given information!”

Thanatos almost chocked on his fish from laughter and Kismet shot both of them death glares, before sighing. “And this is exactly why I said that.”

The rest of the meal went similarly well, and Henry was glad she had seemingly gotten over her loss, at least to the point where she had the energy to do more than lie in a corner. He decided to not ask how she felt – or what she wanted to do next, as he had a feeling that would only make it worse.

Only the present counts, he remembered his own thoughts, back when he had lost everything he had ever held dear.

He was walking around, storing away the cooking utensils, when Henry suddenly heard a cracking noise beneath the sole of his boot. He looked down and his heart started stinging again – he had accidentally stepped on the broken remains of Kismet’s vision aid.

She must have heard the sound too, as she spoke up, from the corner where she had sat down after the meal. “I am... sorry, for breaking it. I know seeing it being destroyed must have hurt your feelings, and I want you to know that I did not mean to do that.”

Henry sighed while picking up the twisted frame. “I... I know. It’s... it’s alright.” He looked up at her, “I mean, I could get you a new one if that is what you want. My friend still makes them, I am certain he’d be glad to help again.”

He saw Kismet averting her gaze. “Why bother. It’s not like I was wrong yesterday when I said there is nothing left I could use it for. My work is destroyed, the books, the carvings... everything.” Her voice sounded incredibly bitter – agitated and sad at the same time.

Henry tried to throw her a more or less cheerful smile. “Oh, you never know what the future holds. Maybe... maybe you’ll one day come across a situation when you’ll direly need it, and then you’ll be mad at yourself you don’t have it.”

She just scoffed and Henry turned to her – “Kismet, your life isn’t over. I think we established that yesterday. I’m not going to let you give up on yourself. I promise.”

He saw she was shaking a little. “You... you are way too stubborn for your own good, you know that?” The exiled prince just laughed. “Been told so. A... lot.”

“Who... who even is that friend of yours? If my nose didn’t deceive me, this thing smelled of nibbler when you brought it to me”, she suddenly asked.

Henry nodded. “He lives in the jungle. He helps me make my things – we created the formula for the ignifer together, he also forged Charos, made the boomerang, and... of course, our saddle.”

Kismet threw him a confused glance, and Henry suddenly realized he had not shown her a single of his new inventions yet. So they spent the morning going over what new things he had acquired after he and Thanatos had left, last time.

Kismet was decently impressed with Charos – though she admired the material more than the sword. The boomerang she found fascinating in itself, the concept of a weapon you threw, which then came back to you, was incredible for her and he had to throw and catch it several times before she was satisfied. When it came to the saddle, she was genuinely at a loss of words, when they first demonstrated it.

“Henry, this is perhaps the most ingenious gadget I have ever seen”, her eye was round and big, even though she couldn’t really see much with it. “Now this is something to be proud of.”

Henry decided to take that as “I am proud of you”, and smiled. “Thanks. It took me some convincing work though, to get Thanatos to even try it. Aren’t I right?”, he elbowed his bond.

“Ohh you are, and remember that time when you FELL OFF, the first time we tried it?”, he fired back and had to lift off faster than he most likely ever had, to escape Henry’s following wrath.

Kismet laughed a little. “I mean, kudos for even having convinced him – and to you for letting him convince you”, she addressed Thanatos now, “I can’t imagine many other fliers would have even considered it.”

They kept chatting for a while, and Henry was glad for the opportunity to distract her thoughts from the darkness, which he presumed would still be plaguing them, without his efforts.

“This... Teslas sounds like someone many rats would be interested in”, she remarked at one point, “an inventor who isn’t human... hah, I always knew it was possible to work with your hands without thumbs, were you only determined enough.”

“How very true”, Henry grinned, “he actually makes fun of those rats quite often, who are salty about “nature preventing them from building things”. All it takes is a little creativity, passion, and determination – I guess having had a human mentor helped too, but still.”

Kismet’s eye was contented. “Hmm... sounds like a friend you’d like to have, he does.”

An idea suddenly flashed in Henry’s mind. “Hey – wouldn’t you want to go and meet him? We’re going to the colony for your new vision aid anyway now – because I AM getting you one, you can not convince me otherwise – and... you could... come with us if you like.”

Kismet raised a figurative eyebrow. “You’re asking a gnawer to come to a nibbler colony? It’s not like they’d welcome me with open arms.”

“I mean, the last quest traveled with two rats and camped at the colony – and the mice were fine with it”, Henry argued, “You wouldn’t even have to go INTO the colony or anything, but Teslas did express the wish to meet you as well when I told him about you.”

Kismet averted her gaze. “It’s... not like I have... anywhere to be anyway. Or anything to do.”

“So you’ll come along?”, he grinned at her, “oh come on, I bet it’s been ages since you’ve seen anything outside the Firelands. And it’s not even that far from here, less than a day’s flight.”

Kismet, seemingly nervously, started working the floor with her claw. “No, no, just... just go, pup, leave me here. I do not like the jungle, never did.”

But Henry shook his head determinately. “Here? Where – here? At the citadel? I mean, it’s not the worst place to stay at, but come on – don’t you want to... FINALLY go somewhere that’s not the Firelands? It must have been ages, more than ten years, since you left them last. Aren’t you... itching for a change? Not even a little?” He admired Kismet in many ways, but he would never get behind someone being okay with staying in one place for such a long time. How did they not get bored?

The scarred rat chuckled. “He really said he wanted to meet me? A nibbler wanting to meet a gnawer – that sounds about impossible.”

Henry grinned. “I know, but he’s... like you. He isn’t narrow-minded enough to hate an entire species. Not even if they...”, he eyed the scar over her eye, “tortured and mutilated you horribly.”

Kismet snorted. “It is as I said – the fault lies not with the species, but with the individuals. I can’t really say nobody from my species hasn’t done the same and worse to humans, now can I?”

She would not just get along with Teslas – she would also instantly be on Vikus’ good side, Henry suddenly realized. How long has he now been searching for anyone – let alone a rat – who shares this viewpoint of his – and who wasn’t Ripred?

“I never thought I’d ever see this place again. In all honesty, I did not miss it.” Henry grinned, as Kismet stared into the Vineyard of Eyes and scoffed.

They had taken their usual detour over the waterway to avoid having to fly through the jungle and had found the entrance they had taken, back when they had first traveled to Kismet’s camp, overgrown, so that wasn’t an option. Instead, they had decided they’d rather enter the jungle through the Vineyard, which was familiar, then look for another entrance.

Even with the cutter’s land on the other side of it, it didn’t pose too big of a problem as they had their designated sneak-route through that part by now, which really worked every time, so they were fine.

Now they were resting back at the plane of Starshade – Ripred’s prediction had come true, the clearing was overgrown with the little white flowers again. But looking at them just reminded Henry of the pointlessness of the last quest, and of Hamnet’s death, so he tried not to.

“I can’t really blame you”, the exiled prince grinned at her. It was... weird, seeing Kismet anywhere but the designated Firelands, he had always naturally associated her with them, and never really expected her to actually leave... ever, but at the same time – he wasn’t complaining.

“At least you’re in good company. We’ve crossed the thing more than a dozen times by now, it’s no big deal”, he assured her, “Last time, Ripred and I even gave the plants in there a HOT time, it involved his go-to signature move the ground coiler and a flaming sword.”

Kismet narrowed her eyes, she really looked like she wanted to ask for details, but then Thanatos poked his head out in between them and asked if they should press on – which they did.

The dangerous passage of the Vineyard lied behind them in just over a minute and they made it through without any notable complications. The trek to the colony from there was not that long, and only around fifteen minutes after they had left the Vineyard behind, Henry, when he focused, could make out the sound of rushing water.

Excitement rose in him when he thought of seeing his mice-friends again, even though it had only roughly been a month since he’d last been here. You could never really visit the colony enough, he had decided a while ago. Be it for the admiration of the babies.

“I’m very sure you’ll get along with Teslas”, he suddenly remembered Kismet might not feel entirely comfortable with the idea of coming here, still. “He’s great, and so are the others. If they hear you are my friend – and the one who taught me echolocation – they’ll greet you with respect, at least. I am certain of it.”

Kismet, behind him on Thanatos, only grunted. “I’ll hold you responsible if they don’t.”

They flew in silence for a while, until Thanatos finally dove out of the network of vines and onto the clearing with the waterfall. He landed near the beach, carefully avoiding the area with the quicksand, and Henry and Kismet mounted down.

“I suggest you stay here, for now, it might be for the best if I go in and warn them you’re here”, he said, looking around. Henry focused his hearing, trying to make out any noise except that from the waterfall, but strangely enough, couldn’t. Where were they? Usually, by now, at least two or three of the mice would have come out and greeted him. Were they busy? Some sort of meeting? He tried to remember if today was someone’s birthday, perhaps.

Henry’s curiosity rose and he started making his way towards the curtain of vines when Kismet’s voice from behind suddenly interrupted him – “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”

The exiled prince turned around to her and noticed Thanatos, who had already lifted off and was flying towards the curtain, turned back as well. He landed before the rat and stared at her, bewildered. “What?”

Kismet carefully took a step closer to the curtain, sniffed the air a few times, then turned to Henry. “There is nobody here.”

Henry felt he was running, though he didn’t consciously move his feet. He targeted the vine curtain, everything in him screamed to tear it away, to prove Kismet wrong.

When he finally did so and followed the tunnel that led into the colony, until he stumbled into the main entrance hall – usually bustling with life – he froze in unbelieving shock. Thanatos followed, Henry heard him land on the floor, almost colliding the wall, from distress.

The cave was empty.

“CEVIAN! CURIE!”, Henry put his hands to his mouth, his voice echoed from the walls of the deserted colony. “LOVELACE!” Nobody replied. “T...TESLAS!”, he finally cried, staggering further into the room.

The exiled prince barely registered Kismet coming in behind them, his head was spinning from the... absurdity of the situation. “Henry, they are not here”, he finally heard her snarl, quiet yet audible.

He turned around and stared at her in the dim light of the fuel bowl which was still burning in the corner. “What... where...?” Suddenly, his foot hit something as he took a step forward. Henry’s gaze darted down and with shaking hands he reached for and picked up... the upper half of a figurine. The figurine he had glued back together for Kepler. Someone had smashed it in half again.

Something suddenly darted past him and Henry just about realized it was Thanatos. He made his way in the direction of the nursery. His bond wanted to follow, but all he could do was stand, frozen in place.

“What... what is the meaning of this?” His voice sounded hoarse and he was looking at Kismet, almost desperately, hoping for any kind of answer.

The scarred rat carefully drew closer until she stood in the middle of the room. Henry saw her sniffing the air again and then approaching him. She smelled the part of the figurine he was holding and looked up at him. “I have no concrete answer to your question, boy. The smells here are confusing, though I will try to analyze them to the best of my abilities.” She fixated her gaze on him, as well as her short-sightedness allowed it. All Henry could do was stand and listen.

“This place clearly harbored many, many nibblers for a long period of time, but none of them are here, not in range to smell, at least. I can tell you this much, though – and you will not like this”, she turned from him, glancing around the room, “At least two gnawers were here, only a few days ago. They were here, and further in.”

Henry felt his heart skip a beat. At the same moment, he heard a high-pitched scream, coming from further in the tunnel system that made up the colony. He recognized Thanatos’ voice instantly and prepared to draw his sword – his flier only ever screamed like that when he was in peril – but Kismet stopped him. “They aren’t here anymore either, boy. Nobody... is here.”

It was almost... creepy, walking along the so familiar halls of the now deserted colony. Everything looked so... so much like the mice had just... vanished out of existence, within a single moment. Henry spotted a still set dinner table, several unfinished games lying around, scrolls of leather and books scattered on the floor, like they had just been read and written on, moments ago.

When he and Kismet finally reached Thanatos, they found him in the nursery, cowering over what appeared to be disheveled cloths and empty nests. Henry unbelievingly traced the rim of the one he had once set Cube and Scale into, back when...

“They... they are gone...” The exiled prince almost didn’t recognize Thanatos’ voice, so much pain and unbelieving it oozed. He took the few steps towards his flier and wrapped his arms around his neck. Henry wanted to comfort him, but he had no words. Too many thoughts, questions, were swarming his own mind. Where were they? What had happened? What had the rats wanted here? Hold on...

“Kismet... you said the rats were here...?” He looked up at her, as soon as she entered the room. “That can’t be. They never come here... they would have had to cross the Vineyard to even get here!”

She sighed. “They did. I... I was unsure if my nose wasn’t deceiving me back there, because, as you said, they would never come here willingly – but I thought I smelled rats there too. Faintly, but still. And don’t ask me what drove them in here, boy, I can not answer that. All I know is... that they were here. For whatever reason.”

None of what she said even remotely helped untangle the mess of thoughts in his mind. The rats... had come here. Why? What had they wanted? “I... I want to know what they were doing here.” His voice sounded misted, even to himself. “There... there aren’t any signs of battle, or... or do you smell...?” Henry had wanted to ask if she smelled blood, but couldn’t bring himself to.

Kismet guessed what he had wanted to say and shook her head. “No blood, no death. Not anywhere around here, at least.”

“So they are alive!” Henry knew very well he had no proof of that, but he had to say it. Had to... believe it.

Fresh energy suddenly flooded him, together with an almost unbearable desire to find out what had happened here. He got to his feet, lit his torch to see better, and started walking towards the one place he always went to when he wanted answers – Teslas’ workshop.

Thanatos guessed what he was up to and flew ahead, Kismet followed behind. When the exiled prince finally shoved aside the curtain and stepped into the familiar room, he almost had a heart attack.

Henry dropped to his knees at the sight, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. This... this place had always been so... so unique, so filled with achievements and incredible gadgets, he vividly remembered how Teslas got when you even so much as touched any of his sacred things without permission – and now...

It was barely recognizable. Bits and pieces of Teslas’ contraptions lied scattered across the room, the countless racks and shelves, once filled with tools and materials of all sort, had all been knocked over, the equipment lied, mostly shattered to pieces, on the floor. His big working table had been smashed in half, the papers and scrolls that once had covered it lied, mostly torn, on the floor around it. Even the anvil next to the forge had been ripped out of its mounts and the fireplace was filled to the brink with leather scrolls.

The huge workshop looked like a tornado had swept through it, tearing everything it could to shreds. Henry could barely hold back the tears. Never, never would Teslas have allowed this to happen, not if he... They kidnapped him, was his first thought, and Henry felt panic rising in his chest. Kismet’s words rang in his ears, how Teslas would be someone the rats would be interested in. Did they...

“This... this is not what you expected to see here, is it?” Kismet was behind him all of a sudden. She grabbed his arm and lifted him off the ground. “This guy you wanted me to meet, Teslas – this was his place, was it not?”

Henry nodded. Like in a trance, he slowly walked forward, constantly stepping on broken gadgetry and papers. Suddenly he stood before a broken glass cylinder – the buzzer venom he had given to Teslas. Beside it, he saw the shattered remains of the chemical contraption they had used to synthesize the ignifer.

“Oh... NO!” Henry turned when he heard Thanatos’ cry. The flier cowered beside the worktable. His own panic increased, thinking his flier had discovered some kind of evidence the rats had indeed kidnapped Teslas, the exiled prince stepped closer.

“What is...” Henry now stood beside his bond, staring at the spot on the wall the flier was fixating. At first glance, he saw nothing but Teslas’ sketches and notes, but when he held the torch closer, Henry realized one of them didn’t fit the rest.

He carefully reached out his hand to touch the weird symbol, he had never seen anything like it before. Henry traced the vertical line with the little appendage, he tilted his head, it almost exactly resembled... a scythe.

“What is that?”, he asked, the question had been directed at Thanatos, but to his surprise, Kismet answered. She had stepped closer as well, behind him, and her tone was bitter. “That is one of the marks of secret. Your nibbler friend really knows how to convey a message, seems like.”

“Marks of secret? What is that?” Henry looked back at her, confused. This time, Thanatos answered. “It’s been... a while since I’ve last seen one. They are... a collection of symbols, they have been forgotten by most, but a long time ago they were an easy and quick way to pass information to your allies. This one...”, he took a deep, shaky breath, “this one is the scythe. It means death. Death to anyone who... sees it.”

Henry stared at the symbol in disbelief. “I... I don’t understand...”

Kismet interrupted him. “Your friend left it for a reason. Something terrible must have happened, something he wanted to warn you of. You, or... anyone else who’d come across this place.”

“Henry, here!” The exiled prince turned his attention back to Thanatos, who pointed at a spot on the broken table, almost exactly underneath the mark. “Here, this... I don’t think this was here before.”

The exiled prince looked closer, it was a short note, carved into the table in Teslas’ shorthand.

_ To all – _

_ Attempting to discover their intention. Going to check on the Fount. _

_ Death Rider, if it is you – meet Cevian at the Queenshead. Inform Regalia. We can not trust them. _

_ Spread the word. Spread the scythe. _

_ – Teslas _

__

He left... on his own. They did not take him. A wave of relief hit Henry before he glanced over the words again and realized he understood almost nothing of what they were saying. It was... not enough information. “Spread... the scythe?”, he slowly asked, throwing glances at both Kismet and Thanatos.

“The mark, it is meant to be used as a warning”, the rat responded, “he wants you to... to follow him, to spread the word of what happened. And to warn everyone of... whatever caused this.”

Henry started tracing the mark with his finger again. If only it could speak. “Meet Cevian at the Queenshead”, he mumbled the only part of Teslas’ message that was entirely crystal clear.

“The Queenshead... that is several hours from here”, Thanatos responded. Henry shook his head determinately. “Yes, but we need to go. As soon as we can. This is our only lead, Death, and I have to – HAVE TO – know what happened. Maybe Cevian can explain. Explain where everyone went, at least where her father is, her pups!” He desperately glanced around the destroyed workshop. “We have to find out. We owe it to them.”

His flier nodded, his expression was grim. Kismet had moved away a little, studying the place itself. Suddenly, it occurred to Henry it might remind her a little too much of her own destroyed cave, and he quickly approached her. “You should have seen it before this... this mess happened.”

She gave him a knowing look. “I am attempting to imagine.”

They remained silent for a moment, taking the destruction and mess around them in. “What... what will you do now?” Henry had to ask eventually. “Do you maybe want to come with us?”

But Kismet shook her head. “To see a nibbler whose colony mysteriously vanished after it was visited by gnawers? No, I think that’s a bad idea.” She sighed. “I’ll... I’ll stay here. For now. You go follow your lead, I’ll stay and look for clues here. Later, I think I’ll go back to the citadel. I’m sure the crawlers could use my help in fixing the leaks caused by the flood.”

She sounded so resigned that Henry couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her for a second. Kismet drew back and hissed – but didn’t shake him. “That sounds like a great idea. The crawlers might be scared of you, but you’re right, they could use all the help they can get. I’m sure they will appreciate it. But... will you be able to make it there by yourself? Do you even know the way?”

Kismet scoffed. “If worst comes to worst, I can just follow our own scent trail back and follow the coastline where we flew over the waterway. I’m not helpless, you know?”

Henry pressed his face into her fur for a few seconds longer before finally letting go. “I know, I know. We’ll come find you at the citadel, should we ever need you, then.”

Kismet gave him a crooked grin. “That’s where I’ll be. If... IF you happen to ever need me. Which you don’t. You know that. After all, you can kick ass on your own now, pup. And that even fairly well.”

He elbowed her. “Don’t say that. I mean, I CAN kick ass now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need you. I’ll always need you. You’re my friend, and you’ll always be.” She was silent at his words, but Henry had a feeling she was happier to hear them than she let on.

“Run like the river, Kismet”, Henry was about to leave the room but turned back to her, standing in the middle of the destroyed workshop, one last time. Thanatos had already flown ahead.

Kismet raised her gaze, and he could have sworn she was smiling. “Fly you high, boy. And go kick ass.”


	4. Pointless

It took them maybe an hour to get out of the jungle, and another to reach the Queenshead. Over the course of their flight, Henry mostly remained silent. Thanatos at some point asked if he was alright, so unusual he found it.

“How can I be alright if something is happening to my friends – and I don’t even know what?”, was all he responded. Thanatos couldn’t really say anything to that.

“I... I just want to know what is going on. “Attempting to discover their intentions”, Teslas wrote. Whose intentions? The rats’? Do you think he’s right to go check on the Fount? And why – out of everyone – is HE the one going? He NEVER leaves his workshop, and now he writes he’s GOING TO THE FOUNT. I...”, Henry sighed, I just... I need answers.”

Thanatos wasn’t able to provide a single one, on the contrary, in truth, he wanted answers just as badly. “Maybe Cevian will know”, he said instead, and Henry nodded. “Here’s hoping.”

“Do you really think she’s here?”, Henry asked as they flew out of a winding tunnel into a grand cave with a huge rock formation in the middle, roughly shaped like the head of a woman wearing a crown – the Queenshead.

Before Thanatos could answer, Henry had already spotted the crème-colored figure of the nibbler, cowering close to the wall. She was eating a fish, but when she heard them, her head jolted upward and she waved at them, her eyes shining with relief.

Thanatos landed directly in front of her and Cevian welcomed them warmheartedly. “You came – you actually came! You must’ve found father’s note then...” Suddenly, her smile vanished.

Henry mounted down and walked over to her, his expression was serious. “Cevian, man is it good to see you. Yes, we’ve been at the colony, but...”, he took a deep breath – “What in the world happened there? Why are you out here, where is your father – and why is his workshop destroyed?” Once he had started, he couldn’t stop the questions from spilling from his mouth.

Cevian sighed before she sat down, leaning against the wall of the structure, Henry and Thanatos did the same. “I... I can answer some of that, though not all.” She averted her gaze and took a deep breath. “It... it all started when those rats showed up, a few days ago.”

Henry and Thanatos listened, with growing distress, to Cevian’s tale. She described an entourage of rats had, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared in the jungle. They had talked to Lovelace and a few of her advisors for a while, Cevian herself hadn’t been there, and neither had apparently been Teslas. After a few hours, they had left again, and the next day, Lovelace had called a meeting – announcing the colony would need to move.

“Move?!” Henry couldn’t believe his ears. “The hell are you talking about – where would you guys move?”

“That’s what I said – I and many others, most of all father”, Cevian sighed, “There...”, she nervously started kneading her front paws, “there was a dispute. Many thought mother had been threatened by the rats, she denied it, but a lot of us disagreed with what she said. I did too.”

Her eyes shone with a determined fire. “But mother said it was for the best if we... took this... “chance”, as she called it.” Cevian was silent for a moment. “I do not know why she denied it, but I am certain those rats threatened or forced her to say that, one way or another.”

Henry and Thanatos exchanged glances.

“Father was furious.” Cevian’s voice was very quiet now. “He... he said it was madness, that we had nowhere to move. I have never seen them fight like this before. I hated to pick a side, but I knew father was right – where would we even go? I understand why mother thought it best to avoid conflict, and I can not say what I would have done, were I the leader, but... Moving from our long-standing home, which is safe and provides us with everything we need? How can that even be a good idea?” She looked up at them, and Henry thought he’d never seen her this distressed.

“What... what happened to your father?”, he carefully asked, unsure if he liked the direction in which the tale was going.

Cevian sighed. “I met him in his workshop, he had retreated there after the fight. He said... he said we could not leave the jungle, and that something was suspicious about mother’s quick decision and the visit of the rats, earlier. He said it must have something to do with each other – she did not consult with him, surprisingly enough. But he said following or listening to the rats was crazy, that it was all too suspicious.”

Cevian averted her eyes. “Father said he would go and investigate the situation. He...”, she was visibly agitated about this next part, “he said he could not risk any of his inventions, or himself, falling into the rat’s hands, in case they would return. So he... he destroyed it all.” Her voice was very quiet and it was clear a part of her disagreed with that decision or at least thought it rash.

Henry stared at her, wide-eyed. “He... he did that to his workshop... himself?” The exiled prince tried to imagine a situation which would force someone as meticulous about the placement and condition of his things like Teslas to make such a final and groundbreaking decision as to destroy it all, and would have asked himself if his daughter wasn’t right calling it rash – but then again, the colony had vanished. Maybe... maybe it had been the only right thing to do.

“Before he left, he wrote you a message, as he thought you might be able to help. He asked me if I wanted to help too – and I could hardly refuse – so he sent me here, with...”, she sighed, “with Luxa’s crown. I should give it to the first Regalian scout I saw, to deliver it back to her, which I did, only hours ago. That way, we would be informing both you and Regalia of our peril.”

Henry furrowed his brows. “Her... what? Why would you do that?”

Cevian eyed him. “Oh right, you don’t know that – she gave it to us after the battle with the cutters in gratitude. She said to send it to her if we ever needed help.”

Henry smiled a little. That sounded like Luxa alright.

“Father himself said he would go to the Fount, to see if they had also been visited by the rats, and hear their opinion on the whole thing. Try to find out what their intentions were, as he wrote. We both snuck out yesterday morning, heading in different directions. Though...”, she suddenly looked skeptical, “I don’t know if it was the right choice to do all this behind mother’s back. Sure, the rats’ visit was suspicious, and we did not agree with her decision to move, but I can’t shake the feeling father’s reaction was... untimely and somewhat... unfair towards her and our colony.”

Henry and Thanatos exchanged glances, and the exiled prince suddenly realized Cevian had no idea her colony had vanished. He carefully raised his voice, and when he described the state they had found the camp in, her eyes widened in unbelieving shock.

“That... that can not be...”, she mumbled and Henry saw fear in her eyes. “No... sister promised me she would care for my pups, she promised me they would be safe!” Her voice grew louder, “They can not be safe if they are not home!”

Thanatos scooted closer to her and pressed his face into her side. “Your sister is wise and resourceful, she will... will have an eye on them.” Henry nodded, “I doubt anything happened to them... I mean, they probably actually moved, as Lovelace wanted. All we have to do is find out where to, and you’ll see them all again.”

Cevian’s eyes still shone with fear but she nodded. “M... maybe I underestimated father’s instincts then... Though, I can not believe mother made such a decision without his consent – or at least his presence! They... I thought they loved each other, how can she... leave, without him?”

“It looked like a hasty departure”, Henry pondered, “maybe she was actually pressured, maybe she had no choice.”

Cevian nodded, “you must be right. Ohh... had I only convinced more of us to listen to father, had I only urged Curie to help us.”

They sat in silence for a while, contemplating the situation. Henry realized they hardly knew any more than before meeting Cevian. Sure, they had found out why Teslas’ workshop was destroyed and what had happened before the colony had... left... or whatever they had done... but other than that? Neither did they know where they had gone to, nor what their motive was or what the rats had to do with all of it.

Henry found himself going over Teslas’ message again in his head. _Spread the word. Spread the scythe._ The scythe! Cevian hadn’t mentioned Teslas leaving it, or what he had attempted to convey through it. He was about to raise his voice and ask when he suddenly heard a noise.

Henry’s and Thanatos’ heads jolted up simultaneously, Cevian listened up too. It sounded like something was on the stone structure which gave this place its name. Henry slowly rose to his feet, gripping the handle of his sword and focusing his senses. Cevian took a step backward until her back pressed against the stone wall.

“I can hear rats”, Thanatos mumbled, and Henry nodded. “Where did they come from, so fast?” He contemplated what to do, should they act like they didn’t hear them and watch what they were doing or attack?

He threw Thanatos a glance and raised his hand. His fingers quickly formed three predetermined symbols after each other – “watch”, “or”, and “attack”. They had used some of their time in the uncharted lands to come up with the basics of a sign language, as talking was often impractical or simply too loud, and they had made a habit of constantly expanding on it. Often had it saved them, allowing seamless and quiet communication, and Henry had been infinitely glad they had created it more times than he remembered – now as well.

Thanatos blinked once – which meant he was for option one – watch. Henry rolled his eye but nodded. He quietly tried to circle around the Queenshead to catch a glimpse at the rats, pressing himself as close to the stone as possible to hide his movement. He figured they were not paying attention to whether his smell was remaining in one spot or not right now.

When he had already moved almost halfway around, he suddenly heard more noise. Something was going on up there, and Henry twisted his neck, trying to see what it was.

Before he could move, call out to Thanatos or Cevian, or even blink – the exiled prince registered the rock, and in the second he turned around it hit its target. The short, intense shriek sounded almost painfully loud in his ears before Henry could register everything was quiet again.

Like in a trance he was staring at the lifeless body of Cevian, next to the wall. The stone, thrown by one of the rats above, had struck her head. She wasn’t moving.

Henry felt his head starting to spin. He saw what his eyes were showing him, on the side, he heard Thanatos’ high-pitched, pained cry, and the satisfied laughing of the rats, but all Henry could think was – no. This did not just happen, it couldn’t have. It wasn’t real.

He realized he had sunken to his knees, still staring at the motionless body of the crème-colored nibbler. Get up, he wanted to scream, come on, what are you doing, lying on the floor. One might get the impression you are...

Blood started pouring out of the wound where the rock had hit her, forming a growing puddle around her head. Henry saw the blood, it glistened in the light of the torch he had put up earlier. The blood...

In the distance, already moving away, apparently not caring for anyone else but Cevian, he heard the steps of the rats, the rats... The blood, the blood around her head...

It was like a bolt of lightning suddenly struck Henry, inducing life back into his body. His senses were only partially working, it was like his field of view was split, he only saw the lifeless body of... of... Cevian. The blood. The stone. His hearing focused on the steps of the rats, in the distance.

He saw red.

Henry jolted up and screamed. Hadn’t Thanatos suddenly been in his way, he would have run into the stone wall. Like this, he stumbled into his flier, collapsing over his back. This wasn’t happening.

He could hear Thanatos’ voice, he was calling his name, calling his name and... Cevian’s. Calling out to him – Henry had a hard time focusing on the words. When he finally registered Thanatos was suggesting they go after the rats, he wanted to scream yes, but his voice didn’t obey him. He just cowered over his flier, face pressed into the fur on his back, not even realizing tears were streaming down his cheeks for minutes.

“Henry – Henry, we need to... need to catch them. Need to... Henry!”

The exiled prince had no idea how much time had passed before he finally registered Thanatos was speaking to him. His brain processed the words, we need to catch them.

Iron determination suddenly gripped his heart. He pulled himself onto Thanatos back with a single motion, not bothering to strap on the saddle. He didn’t need it for this.

His flier was in the air the moment Henry had mounted up. He darted through the cave and into the tunnel, after the rats. They flew for maybe a minute before they caught up to them. It was two, Henry hadn’t the time or motivation to care for the colors of their fur or any of their other features.

With a single motion he drew and threw the boomerang, it whizzed through the air and pierced the throat of the first rat, who dropped as soon as the projectile hit. Henry slashed at the second with his sword, it shrieked and countered, but the exiled prince was far too good at killing by now, when he was determined. The rat went down from his second strike, and only when both lied on the floor, silently, Thanatos landed.

Henry registered he was panting from the battle, which hadn’t even been a real battle, but now that the threat was dealt with, his eyes started watering again. The exiled prince didn’t have the energy to speak, he just retrieved his boomerang, almost automatically, before Thanatos turned to fly back. Back to the cave, where...

The flier landed ungraciously on his stomach, directly before her body. Henry heard him sound something like a whimper, almost too high for human ears to hear. He stared at Cevian, at the blood that had now smeared her beautiful, crème-colored coat, and tried to process what had happened.

The sword he was still holing slipped from Henry’s hand and he slid off Thanatos’ back, into Cevian. He pressed his face into her fur and didn’t even try to hold back the tears.

Henry had no idea how long he and Thanatos had lied there, curled up next to Cevian. In fact... he hardly knew anything. What had the rats been doing here? Why had they, how it seemed, actively pursued her? All of this... seemed so... so pointless. The disappearance of the mouse colony, Teslas’ and Lovelace’s fallout and... Cevian’s death.

When he felt the warmth leave her body, at last, Henry somehow found the strength to rise up. “... why?”, was all he could say, his eyes searched those of Thanatos, but his flier was blankly staring into a random direction, his nose still in Cevian’s coat.

Henry leaned against him and started stroking his fur. “We...”, he had no idea where he got the strength to speak. “We need to... to do something.”

Do something. The thought reinvigorated him, sent fresh determination through his body like electricity. This... this couldn’t go unpunished.

“Death”, his voice was hoarse, “we’ll get them. We’ll find out what’s going on, and we’ll put an end to it.” Henry didn’t remember when he had last sounded so resolved.

“We’ll go... we’ll find Teslas, we’ll follow his trail. We need to warn him, too, and...” Henry froze when he realized they would have to tell the inventor his daughter was dead.

Thanatos’ body beneath him started shaking a little. “We have to...”, he mumbled, “we have to... she... what will become of her pups?”

“Curie has them, she told us, remember? They will be safe with Curie!” Henry had to tell himself they would. He had to think the rest of the colony was fine, he had no choice. There was only so much he – they – could bear.

Finally, Thanatos rose a little and looked at Henry. His gaze was pained and misted but also determined. “You are right. You... you are right. They will be fine... with Curie.”

Henry dared glance back at Cevian’s body. They couldn’t just leave her here like this. Then again, Luxa was most likely on her way here, or would be soon. Another pained jolt ran through his body, Henry did not want her to see Cevian like this. Though, he knew it would be better than to have her disappear entirely. At least like this, his cousin would have confirmation of her fate – and of the direness of the situation.

“What... can we do with her?” His bond had apparently had the same thought. Henry bit his lip. “We need to leave her. For Luxa. She... she needs to... deserves to know. But maybe...” Henry suddenly had an idea. They had no time to leave a proper message, it would take far too long to carve. But maybe they could leave something else.

Teslas’ message in mind, Henry kneeled down, right next to the wall. He drew Mys and dragged it across the stone floor. A straight line with a small appendage on top – a scythe.

“Do you think Luxa will understand it?”, Thanatos asked when they heaved Cevian’s body to lie on top of it and Henry sighed. “At least she will realize it means something. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nerissa could explain it, or even Hazard. He grew up in the jungle, after all. In any way, it is the only thing we can do.”

He stroked her still silken fur one last time, before rising to his feet and packing away his torch, angry determination fueling him. “We need to find Teslas. We need to find out what is happening – and we need to put an end to it.”

Thanatos rose, instead of answering, and dove into a tunnel that led in the approximate direction of the Fount. Henry glanced back for as long as he could still see Cevian – then he only looked forward.


	5. Breadcrumbs

The trip to the colony took nearly twelve hours, as the tunnels were winding and often confusing in this part of the Underland. Many times Henry wished they could fly in a straight line, it would have only taken a couple hours then, but no.

Still, having been in the air for fifty hours before, when they had crossed the waterway, almost five months ago, Thanatos easily made the trip in one go. Henry had, ever since their stay in the uncharted lands, made it a habit to always pack enough food for at least a day, so they didn’t need to stop for that either.

After maybe five hours of travel, the exiled prince decided to go to sleep, and when he awoke, he saw the familiar river beneath them, which he had crossed so many times when visiting the Fount. Back when he had lived in Regalia, and when doing his supply trips there, from the jungle.

The sight triggered unwanted memories, of all the faces he wasn’t ready to see again yet. Of Luxa and the other questers, most of all – and then there was that of Dalia and her stern expression. _I want you to take me back._ Annoyed at himself, Henry shook his head. Now was not the time to waste his thoughts on Dalia. He had more pressing matters to attend.

Only half an hour later, Thanatos landed on the beach of the river, close to the entrance of many caves and tunnels which led to the water and made up the colony. Or... had made up.

Henry heard the deafening silence instantly – his senses told him there was nobody here, yet he still called out, shining his torch into the tunnel entrances. He called names, random names he recalled from his visits here – “Camus! Aristos!”, his voice echoed from the empty walls almost unnervingly. “Chatelet! Leibnis! Cartesian!” In his head, Henry knew they wouldn’t respond, yet he had to keep calling, he had to...

Thanatos found him finally, kneeling on the floor, in one of the back-end caves, his torch lied on the ground, where he had lazily dropped it. “This... this is impossible...” Barely ever had the flier heard his bond’s voice so desperate. “Teslas was supposed to be here – they... the others, they were... they were supposed to be here!”

Thanatos was too unnerved to speak himself. He and Henry huddled together in the middle of the cave, staring blankly at the deserted remains of the colony around them. Half-eaten meals, nests, remains of studies and games, much like in the colony in the jungle.

“Where... where are they?” Thanatos couldn’t answer Henry’s question, all he could do was try and make some sense of the situation. “Maybe Teslas hasn’t come through here yet. It is a long trip here from the jungle, and that on foot”, he remarked, but Henry glanced at him skeptically.

“He would have the advantage of being able to take a more direct way though, the one we couldn’t take because it was too narrow to fly through. He should have made the trip in a day easily. And he started before us, too.”

Thanatos was silent. He had no words anymore. He wanted to comfort Henry, to comfort himself – but he had no words. His mind was reeling, as he was sure was his bond’s. He searched his memory for something like this ever having occurred before, but he could think of no comparable situation. Never in his life had he witnessed or heard of an entire species just... vanishing like this. It... it made no sense.

After what had felt like ages, cowering on the floor, staring at the deserted colony, Henry finally rose to his feet. “TO HELL WITH IT ALL!”, his angry scream echoed through the empty halls and his fist hit the hard stone wall. “I won’t let THIS HAPPEN! I won’t... I can’t...” Only then Thanatos realized the exiled prince was on the brink of crying.

Henry didn’t want to cry, but the tears started running on their own. He felt more helpless than he had in a long time, and he hated feeling helpless almost more than anything else. It was a crushing and suffocating emotion that weighed on him like a boulder ten times his size, a boulder fixating him on the floor, allowing him not to move or scream or attack whatever caused it.

It was almost paradoxical – two years had passed since he had been forced into exile, since he had conspired with Gorger to rid the Underland of the weak species. Of the nibblers too, he thought, he faintly remembered having talking about them too. And now... here he was, two years later, crying for the fate of the very same species he had wanted to condemn before.

_ Condemner, savior has become. _

The words of the Prophecy of the Death Rider rang in his ears. Condemner... he had been a condemner, back then. He had condemned everyone he had ever cared for, hell, he would have condemned the entire Underland, had he been given the chance.

Savior. The word echoed in his mind. Was he a savior? He had saved many people, even entire colonies, ever since his exile. Did that make him a savior?

When Henry felt Thanatos wrap a wing around his shoulders for comfort, the temptation to give in and cry his heart out was big, but Henry wasn’t the type. He never sat idly for long, weeping for his losses. Instead, he usually felt the need to rectify whatever caused his pain immediately – and now that need won him over at last.

He angrily wiped the tears and rose to his feet, picking up his torch which had almost burned out now, as fuel had run out when he had dropped it. He refilled it and glanced around. “Teslas has to have been here already. He has to... maybe we can find a clue as to where he went. He must have expected me to get his message, after all, and he is smart enough to leave a breadcrumb trail for me to follow.”

Thanatos nodded, and the two spend the next few hours searching the colony for clues, but they found nothing. Frustratedly, Henry gritted his teeth. “Oh, come on – they couldn’t just have vanished into thin air now, could they? Where could an entire colony of mice even go from here?”

Thanatos pondered. “The only tunnel big enough I can think of, at the top of my head, is the Swag. It lies beneath the river we crossed outside.”

Henry bit his lip. “I know of the Swag, though I’ve never crossed it before. But you are right – all the other tunnels seem narrow and impractical, they must have gone that way. We can’t be certain, but it’s our best bet. Maybe Teslas thought us smart enough to figure this out and left a clue in the Swag itself?” Henry spoke with the hope of desperation, but Thanatos nodded. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

The two of them went back to the cave where Henry had previously dropped the torch to fetch his backpack, which he had left there, during their search. Thanatos saw his bond pick it up and wanted to turn around to leave when he saw Henry wasn’t coming.

“As we hope Teslas will lead us, we must attempt to lead Luxa. She will surely check on both colonies, after finding Cevian, and we must leave her something to reassure her she is on the right track.”

Thanatos pondered. “Why do you even want Luxa to follow us? Wouldn’t she be better off staying out of this?”, he shook his head, “I don’t know what is happening, but it disturbs me greatly. I can almost sense the despair in the air here. It is nothing you would want your loved ones to get involved in, is it now?”

Henry glanced at him. “Oh, believe me, I’d want nothing more than to keep her from getting involved in this – but I know Luxa. Probably better than anyone. And she will NOT stay out of this, not if the entire army of Regalia was set on stopping her.”

He threw the flier a somewhat pained smile. “She owes the nibblers her life, as I do. She will keep investigating this, and she will endanger herself to do so. There is nothing I or anyone can do to stop her, so I will do what I can to at least guide her into a direction that may lead to solid evidence, evidence which would allow her to alert the council and send the army, instead of going off on her own, like she is most likely doing now.”

“You think the vanishing of two colonies is not enough evidence?”, Thanatos furrowed symbolic brows irritatedly, but Henry only snorted. “For those old lazy farts in the council? Oh no, no... they aren’t like that. They’d rather have less work than more, so they will find excuses. That’s what they’re best at, after all. Unless we – Luxa – present them with solid, undeniable evidence, they won’t take action.”

Henry turned back towards the wall. “And I will help her – dare anyone try to stop me.” Thanatos saw the exiled prince draw Mys. He gripped it firmly and carved a symbol into the wall – a scythe.

“She will recognize it, and she will know it means she is on the right track.” Henry eyed the scythe grimly. “Besides, Teslas wanted me to spread it. That’s what I’ll do.” He turned back to Thanatos, the flier was almost frightened by the amount of grim resolve in his eyes. “Let’s go.”

The Swag was nice, big, and easy to fly through. Thanatos moved as slow as he could, as to not miss any clues Teslas might have left. Henry felt his impatience grow as they traveled almost at slimer’s pace, but he didn’t want to miss anything.

They were in the middle of taking a lunch break, after four agonizing hours of search, and Henry decided to walk a little and move his, stiffened from the long flight, legs.

He had just gone far enough to almost not see the light from the torch, he had put up next to where they had landed, anymore. Henry wasn’t concerned with having no light, ever since he had passed the second threshold, though. He felt at peace in the dark as he did in the light, in control. What difference did it make, after all, whether he used his eyes to see or his ears?

Henry glanced back and wondered if he should return and as Thanatos to continue their search when his gaze met the wall and he froze in his tracks.

He could do nothing except stare and felt the half-eaten sandwich he had taken slipping from his hand. He wanted to call out to Thanatos, but all Henry could do was kneel down, reach his hand out and place it on top of the dark, smudged paw print on the wall.

Thanatos had most likely heard the sandwich fall and when he approached and saw what Henry had discovered, he gasped in horror.

“Is it blood?”, the exiled prince asked, his voice sounded numb. The flier carefully drew closer, inspected the mark and sniffed it. “Nibbler blood, can’t be older than a day and... it...”, he threw his bond a glance, “it is Teslas’.”

Henry visibly clenched his jaw, he wanted to avoid falling back into the state of helpless despair. Not now, not anymore. “He is leading us”, the exiled prince bit his lip, “and he bled to do so.”

They both wanted to shout a million questions out into the world – where was Teslas going? Was he a prisoner, wounded? Or had he injured himself to leave this mark? But why would he do so, if he could just as well leave another scythe? Was he with the colony from the Fount – or following behind them? Where would this trail he was leaving them, lead?

But they both knew nothing would come from voicing questions neither could answer. The only true goal they had was to find the one person who could – Teslas. So they pressed on, further into the Swag. And now that they had found their clue, they didn’t need to look out for any more either.

The earthquake had caught the entire party off-guard. Gregor, Boots, and Temp had saved themselves onto Ares’ back and he had managed to get into the air, clutching small Thalia in his claws, as did Nike, who carried Howard, and Aurora, who had Luxa and Hazard.

“We will never make it back to the colony!”, Howard screamed now, “Follow me!” Nike led the way forward, to the far side of the Swag.

Rock chips began to rain down from the roof of the tunnel. First small ones, like the gravel that lined the floor, but soon larger pieces. He pressed Boots forward over Ares’s neck, protecting her with his body as best he could and hoped the ceiling wouldn’t collapse.

With his head bent over, Gregor could see the floor, rolling as if the gravel were waves on the ocean. Cracks began to appear in the walls of the tunnel. First thin lines, which shot up the stone faces, etching treelike patterns in the surfaces. And then deeper fissures. That’s when Gregor felt the water on the back of his neck. It was only a gentle patter like rain, but he knew that wouldn’t last after all.

The waves of gravel were now replaced by rushing water and Gregor knew that somewhere behind him the river had broken through.

He desperately stared ahead, shining his flashlight, searching for the exit with his eyes – and then finally spotted it. Nike and Aurora shot out into freedom and Gregor was about to rejoice they had made it when the wave hit Ares.

Boots was ripped from Gregor’s arms and he screamed, barely holding on to Ares’ wet fur. This couldn’t be happening – not again. He saw, almost like in slow motion, how his little sister was catapulted forward, Gregor thought he heard her muffled scream – when suddenly something whizzed past him, almost lighting fast, towards Boots. Gregor just about saw how a pair of hands caught her when Ares’ fur finally slipped through his fingers.

Gregor screamed and immediately swallowed water. He was helplessly dragged along, pulled under, unable even to seek air, because he had no idea where the air might be.

Gregor felt consciousness slipping away, then he vaguely registered a sharp jolt of pain in his foot and then there was air around him again. He was dangling in space, water running from his nose and mouth. A bat had him from above, but he was unable to see which one.

The claw released him on a stone outcropping where he choked out the rest of the river he’d inhaled. The earth trembled ever so slightly beneath him and Gregor forced himself onto his knees. His flashlight was still working. Howard, Luxa, and Aurora lay bloody and gasping beside him. The wave must have caught them as well. There was no sign of the others.

“Boots!”, Gregor cried out. His flashlight beam cut into the darkness. They were up very high over an expanse of churning water. Several hundred yards away, he could just see the top of what must have been the opening to the Swag. Gregor shone his light in that direction and saw Ares and Nike were speeding over the water, searching for the others.

Ares and Nike and... wait... there was someone else! The same black lightning bolt he had seen before, darted past him again, flying a tight circle over his head before finally descending down onto their ledge.

From the corner of his eye, Gregor saw Howard and Luxa had sat up too, staring at the undefined flying object like he was. But it was no undefined flying object at all – an immense wave of relief hit Gregor when he recognized the distinct white stain on the face of the otherwise black bat – and the rider on his back. Wait... on his back?

Gregor squinted his eyes, trying to determine whether he was seeing things, but no – the rider on Thanatos’ back was... not on his back at all. The big black bat circled downward, towards them, and his rider was... sitting upside down.

His ponytail was wet and part of it stuck to his face, but Gregor recognized the eyepatch instantly. He tried to see how he was even holding on, but when he pointed the flashlight beam at his hands, another wave of relief engulfed Gregor. There, in the arms of the Death Rider, was Boots, clinging tightly to his head.

As Thanatos descended further down, he let go of her with one hand and grabbed onto something behind one of the bat’s ears. He almost seamlessly pulled himself up, until he was sitting in a ninety-degree-angle at first, then completely upright.

Thanatos finally landed amidst the questers and Gregor saw now that the Death Rider was sitting, strapped into some sort of contraption that seemed to hold him on Thanatos’ back, but he had not the time or need to examine it closer, not now.

Gregor dwelled on how he was even here now for a moment – he hadn’t followed them, had he? But the more pressing matter in the shape of Boots occupied his thoughts instead.

With the last of his strength, Gregor heaved himself up and staggered forward, towards Thanatos... towards Boots. “BOOTS!”, he cried, opening his arms to her.

Meanwhile, Luxa had gotten up too. She disregarded the Death Rider, instead, she staggered towards the ledge. “Hazard! Hazard!” Her voice was as desperate as his own had been. “Aurora, can you fly? Can you fly?”, she begged, but the golden bat was still gagging up water and unable to answer.

Gregor glanced in her direction and fear gripped his heart again. Hazard, Thalia, Temp. The smallest, the youngest, the most vulnerable, were still missing. No, there – clinging to Thanatos’ fur, behind the Death Rider, was Temp. He scurried off the bat’s back and Gregor saw he was shaking.

“Boots!” Gregor reached for his little sister, who was still in the Death Rider’s arms. She seemed to grip his head even tighter now. He noticed her tiara and princess skirt were gone, only the still blinking – and apparently waterproof – scepter she still clutched firmly in her small hand. She was weeping desperately. “Ma-maa!” Her cries constantly increased in volume. “MA-MAA!”

“Oh, sweetie”, Gregor’s voice was shaking when he reached for her, “Oh, Boots...” The Death Rider attempted to pluck her from his head, but her grip was firmer than they had thought, and it took him a few minutes to get her off.

When he had finally loosened the hold she had had on his head and wanted to hand her over to Gregor, she clung to the outcast’s arms instead. “No, no! No let go! NO!” The Death Rider chuckled awkwardly, “Hey, hey – Boots, don’t you want to go back to your brother? He missed you”, he carefully tried to untangle the baby’s small fingers from his wet hair.

She clung to him for a while longer, before Gregor could finally scope her up in his arms. She was apparently mad at him. “You let go. In the water. You let go of me!”, she sobbed and hit him with her small fist.

“I’m sorry. I tried not to. I’m sorry, Boots”, he tried to sound reassuring, but she was not ready to forgive him yet.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to”, the Death Rider grinned and patted her head once, before Thanatos moved away. In all this time, his rider hadn’t mounted down, and from the glance, Gregor caught at the contraption holding him in place, it didn’t even look like he could, without hassle.

Meanwhile, Ares had carried a sodden Thalia to safety, he had dropped her near Gregor, before collapsing himself, like Nike, who had carried in her claws Hazard.

The little bat was waterlogged, probably going into shock, but she was at least still fighting. Hazard appeared lifeless. His pale skin had a bluish tint and blood ran from a deep gash in his forehead. There was no movement in his chest.

Howard was over the boy at once, trying to restore his breathing. Luxa stormed past Gregor immediately, trying to get to Hazard, but she was caught in the firm grip of the Death Rider, who had mounted down in the meantime, and who relentlessly held her in place. He was almost two heads taller and much stronger – as desperately as she fought, he didn’t let go.

“Luxa, no, you can not help him now!”, he called, gritting his teeth in pain as she dug her nails into his arm, trying her best to shake him.

“Let Howard do it! He’s an expert!”, Gregor tried to calm her as best he could, throwing a grateful glance at the outcast. Who knew if anyone else could have even held her, besides him. Gregor sure knew he wasn’t strong enough, Aurora was stilly lying on the floor, heaving, and Howard was occupied with Hazard.

Suddenly, the bats’ heads jolted up, as did that of the Death Rider. “We can not stay here”, he could hold Luxa with one arm now, she hung on it almost like on a lifeline.

Gregor wanted to ask what he meant when he suddenly felt it. The earth had begun to shake again. An aftershock, thought Gregor, he thought that was what they were called.

“Brace!”, the Death Rider called, pulling Luxa and Gregor closer to the wall of the cave. Howard was still cowering over Hazard, he seemed like he didn’t even notice what was happening.

The sharp collision of rock on rock drew Gregor’s attention back to the exit of the Swag. The stone wall above the tunnel, already cracked and damaged from the initial earthquake, began to break away. A deafening explosion rang in his ears, and then he was being pressed against the wall, Boots still in his arms. He lifted the flashlight just in time to see the avalanche bury the opening to the Swag under a mountain of rock.

The impact of the avalanche, as it hit the water, was enough to send waves splashing over the edge of their haven, but no one was washed away, nor could anyone get any wetter. They were all soaked, inside and out.

Howard was still pumping Hazard’s chest, almost oblivious to it all. The seconds dragged on. Luxa had stopped fighting and now just stared at Hazard, her gaze almost blank, still clinging to the Death Rider’s arm. Gregor saw her grip was so firm her knuckles shone whiter than her skin and knew she thought he was lost.

Only when Howard cried – “His heart beats!”, did everyone come to life. Luxa sprang forward and clutched Hazard’s hand. “He is alive? He is alive?” Her voice was shaking and Gregor wasn’t sure whether it was a question.

At that moment, water gushed from Hazard’s mouth. Howard rolled the boy on his side and let Luxa comfort him as he retched.

The picnic hampers were still secured to the bats’ backs and Howard dug into the smaller one on Nike, before pulling out a large leather box. Leave it to Howard to think to pack a first-aid kit. It had never even crossed Gregor’s mind. Just another reason he was probably not doctor material.

Gregor spent the next ten minutes sitting on the floor, watching Howard tend to Hazard. He said the boy would recover soon, and when he was finally done with him, he turned to the rest of the group. “All right, then. How fare you others?”

They all just stared at him, their injuries so paled in comparison to Hazard’s that no one felt they could complain. Except for Boots, of course. “Gre-go let me go”, she said, still sniffling. “Look!” She held up her little pointer finger dramatically. It would have been an exaggeration to call it a cut. A nick maybe.

“Oh, dear. We must address that immediately”, Howard grinned at her. “And line up, all of you. I do not want anyone being “brave”.”

It took less than a minute to fix up Boots, and then Howard worked his way through the rest of the party, stitching up cuts and checking for broken bones. They were banged up and bruised, but no one had serious injuries.

When he finally turned towards the Death Rider – the only one who hadn’t lined up with them and was instead fumbling at Thanatos’ pockets – he raised an eyebrow. “I thought I said all of you?”

The outcast rolled his eye at him. “Save it, Howard, I wasn’t even IN the flood.”

Howard just raised an eyebrow at him. “Were I a smaller person, I would agree with you, but I strive to be a doctor – I do not care who I treat – as long as someone needs medical attention, I provide it. So stop whining and get in line, you are the only one left.”

Thanatos chuckled and shoved his bond towards Howard. “Oh, go on already, it won’t kill you. Just... give him the satisfaction. Just this once.” The Death Rider glared at him, then at Howard, but finally sighed. “Alright, alright, you great and honorable doctor, come at me.”

It turned out he wasn’t at all injured from the flood, as expected. But Howard discovered several other wounds, all in various stages of healing, from before. He insisted on tending to all of them properly, and the outcast stopped complaining and just sat there, looking like he wanted nothing more than to throw Howard down into what was now a foaming lake.

Suddenly, Luxa spoke up and addressed him, just when he was finishing up the outcast’s last bandage. “Thank you for saving Hazard”, her voice was tremulous.

“He is my cousin”, Howard smiled at her, “as are you, right?” In answer, Luxa put her arms around Howard’s neck.

“Oh, no, are you actually giving me a hug?” He hugged her back, grinning at the others over her shoulder. “And it only took an earthquake, a flood, and an avalanche to get it.”

They all laughed then, even the bats and Temp. Even Luxa. All of them – save the Death Rider, who averted his glance instead, stared at the floor, and tugged at the fresh bandage. Gregor thought he even saw him clench his jaw a little.

“Alright, this is all fine and well, but –”, he suddenly raised his voice and all eyes were on him, “but what are you all going to do now?”

Deafening silence followed, the entire party was staring at him, like they had only now realized what had happened. Their way back... Gregor stared at what had remained of the entrance to the Swag – had been cut off.

Howard finally let go of Luxa and called for a crisis meeting, right there, on top of the ledge. The Death Rider was the only one who had a working torch, and he had it stand in their midst, allowing Gregor to save his batteries. It almost looked like a campfire, he thought.

Howard then started talking – “I presume it is out of the question we cancel our mission and bring Hazard back to Regalia.”

“Mission?” The Death Rider eyed him, “you mean the nibblers?”

Luxa’s head darted in his direction. “What do you know of this?”

He sighed and sat down – between her and Howard, who shot him a dismissive glance. But he disregarded Luxa’s cousin and started talking. Gregor listened with growing despair, the tale of the deserted colony in the jungle, then that of Cevian’s death.

Luxa bit her lip and glanced down when he described how she had died. “Thank you for avenging her”, she mumbled and he shot her a sorrowful smile. “She was my friend as she was yours.”

In the dim light of the torch, Gregor saw them next to each other, both with grim expressions, both worn and soaked from the water, and once more he noticed how... alike they suddenly looked.

Back in the jungle, it had only been a short thought, but now... maybe it was because Luxa was older now, but Gregor could have sworn their faces had the same shape and their eyes... His were much darker, but the expression they harbored was one unlike he had ever seen in anyone except Luxa. Or had he? Gregor squinted his eyes and tried to remember... where had he seen this face before?

But before he could dwell on it further, the outcast started talking again. He told them what Cevian had said, the party took it in with great unease. Gregor himself could not make any sense of it – “Why... why would the rats visit the mice? Didn’t you say they hated each other?”, he asked, not even sure who he was addressing.

Luxa nodded. “I can not think of any reason for them to pay the nibblers a visit as you described. Nor can I explain why they would agree to... move.” Her face was stern and Gregor thought as soon as Hazard was back home, she would immediately go back to following this lead.

The Death Rider shot her a glance, like he was thinking the same thing, but continued talking. He described how he and Thanatos had followed Teslas’ message to the Fount and had found it deserted too. Then, almost a day ago, had come here, after having traversed the Swag.

“We couldn’t find any more clues after the paw print”, the outcast admitted and exchanged glances with Thanatos. “So we camped out here. We had planned to explore in all directions, but then we heard the earthquake... and you guys. As I had hoped, you indeed followed my trail as I followed that of Teslas.” He shot a smile at Luxa.

“Your trail?”, she furrowed her brows at him, “What are you talking about? We followed the nibblers, and...”, she paused, glancing over at Hazard, “and then there were those symbols everywhere. The scythes.”

He smiled a little. “I know. That was my trail.”

All heads darted in his direction. “YOU left those marks?”, Howard stared at him, shocked. The Death Rider nodded. “Teslas had written in his message to spread the scythe. And that’s what I did.”

They were silent for a while before Howard finally spoke up. “That is all fair and well, but... what do we do now? We must go back to Regalia, which will pose something of a difficulty, considering where we are.” He glanced over at Hazard who was soundly sleeping, curled up in a pile with Thalia and Boots.

The Death Rider followed his gaze. “Why the hell did you guys even bring the kids along? Why did they even bring YOU along?”

Luxa glared at him. “Do not badmouth Howard, had he not been here, Hazard would be gone now.” Surprisingly enough, the outcast was quiet at that.

“The kids shouldn’t even be here”, Howard frowned dismissively. “But hadn’t Gregor used that excuse, they wouldn’t be.”

“That is enough accusations”, Luxa called, and Gregor was infinitely glad for it. He had no desire to talk about the date-thing now. “It does not matter why and how we are here now. All that matters is getting Hazard back to Regalia.”

Howard sighed. “That will not be as easy as you think. There aren’t many ways to go from here, after all. Most of the tunnels are dead ends, and then there is the Hades Hall.”

Luxa’s cousin proceeded to elaborate, the Hades Hall was a deep, linear tunnel that led to the Firelands. He estimated crossing it would take them three days at best. “But then... I do not know exactly where it ends”, he admitted, furrowing his brows and Gregor started to feel panic rise in his chest. They... weren’t lost, were they?

“But we do”, to everyone’s surprise, Thanatos spoke up. Gregor thought he saw the Death Rider glare at him, but the bat with the white face spoke on. “We did cross the Hades Hall before, actually, I did not realize it led to the Swag, but that hardly matters now.” He glanced at his bond, who was now biting his lip.

“So will you lead us then?” Luxa’s eyes were on him and to his surprise, Gregor saw he avoided her gaze. “I...” Gregor thought he had never seen the Death Rider this agitated, except maybe back in Longclaw’s prison.

“I can not”, he finally blurted out and everyone stared at him in shock. “I have my own mission to follow”, he added, “I will not waste time babysitting you guys again. Forget about it.” With that, he stood up and walked away from the fire, turning his back on the group.


	6. Vow to the Dead

The assembled group stared at the Death Rider in shocked silence. Gregor blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what he had just said – why had he...?

Suddenly, Luxa stood up. She determinately walked over to where he stood now and right before she reached him, he turned around, his expression was cold. From where Gregor was sitting, he could not see Luxa’s face, but the Death Rider could – and his rejecting expression started cracking immediately as he saw her.

“Why are you saying that?”, Gregor had barely ever heard her voice so... hurt. “Did... did we perhaps do something to upset you?”

The outcast was now biting his lip and he wore a sympathetic but somewhat unreadable expression. He sighed. “No. Luxa... do not ever say that.” Gregor had never heard him speak in such a quiet – almost humble – manner. “Please do not ever say that.” He looked like he wanted to take her hands or her shoulders, but he instead crossed his arms and averted his gaze.

He sighed, and, without looking at her, continued – “But... things can’t go on like this, don’t you understand?”

“No”, she sounded agitated, “I do not understand a word. What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about the fact that you guys”, he glared around the assembly, “need to stop treating me as... one of you.”

More perplexed silence followed. “W... what?” Luxa sounded completely taken aback, not that Gregor could blame her. His eyes were on the outcast.

Gregor suddenly noticed how haggard he seemed, how there was a big, purple circle beneath his eye, the countless scars painting almost angry lines on his pale skin. His hair was so long it would reach past his shoulders, even longer than Luxa’s, and only loosely tied together, almost half of it was carelessly covering his face. In short – he didn’t look good. Not even remotely comparable to how he had when they had first seen his face in the jungle. Gregor vividly remembered that particular smirk, the fire in his eye. When he tried reading his gaze now, almost nothing had remained, nothing but darkness and sorrow.

Gregor thought back to their mission to save Stellovet – he had noticed the changes back then, but he realized the Death Rider must have either concealed them better, or something else had happened in the meantime. Maybe it had. They hadn’t had the chance to ask him where and how he had spent his time since they had parted ways after he had returned from killing Longclaw. How even? It’s not like they saw a lot of him in general. He just... seemed to, almost conveniently, appear to their aid every time, without warning, like out of nowhere.

They had also never found out if – and how – he had apparently solved his perception-problem. His words, back in the rat prison, rang in Gregor’s ears, _I’ll tell you when we meet again._ Had he any intent to do so?

At that very moment, Gregor promised himself he would ask. If Luxa got him to come with them, he would ask.

He gulped. Gregor did not know why, but he harbored a lot of sympathy for the outcast – okay, maybe he knew why. He had saved their lives many times, he had sacrificed his eye for Luxa, back on the waterway. Now he had caught Boots, saving her from the flood.

Whatever his deal was, for whatever reason he was living out here, whoever he even was – Gregor knew he could not hate him, not even dislike him. His gut instinct had always told him he was a good person, and so far he had not been proven wrong.

He sighed now. “Luxa, don’t you get it?”, his voice sounded almost frustrated, “I am... You keep pretending I belong in your little circle of adventurers, your “quester”-gang, if you like. But I do not. I will never be one of you. You said it yourself, back on the waterway. Don’t you remember?”, there was much pain in his gaze now.

Luxa bit her lip. Gregor thought it was a little unfair, bringing that up now. Yes, she had wanted to send him away back then, but that had been before...

“That is not true.” All gazes darted to him when Gregor heard himself speak. He gulped and slowly stood up, trying to ignore the staring. “You... you proved many times that you... that you are a part of this team, because...”, dammit, he hadn’t thought this through.

Suddenly, a different voice, behind him, spoke. “You belong, because you proved you want to stand with us, many times.” Gregor smiled at Ares’ words and noticed the Death Rider was staring at his bond in utter disbelief.

“They speak the truth”, Luxa smiled. “Without you, most of us would be long lost. Without you, Aurora and I would have fallen to the serpent, without you, we would most likely not have made it through the Vineyard of Eyes. Without you, Longclaw would still be among the living.”

Her gaze was warm but stern – “You have proven your loyalty many times. And I have come to...”, she hesitated for a moment, “to trust you. Do not give me a reason to resign that trust.”

Gregor had never seen the Death Rider this... genuinely lost. His eye was round and big, like in disbelief. He thought he had even seen a tear shine in it, but Gregor wasn’t sure.

“I... I, I do not...” He was at a loss of words. He, the Death Rider – who Gregor thought to be the biggest, most obnoxious loudmouth since Ripred – and maybe Henry – was actually... speechless.

His gaze finally darted over to the only human party member who hadn’t spoken yet. “Okay, but YOU surely do not agree with them, do you?”, the outcast addressed Howard, his tone was almost pleading, like he wanted Luxa’s cousin to reject him.

Howard gritted his teeth. “Do not ask me to send you away just because you WANT to be sent away.” He snorted a little. “Do I trust you? Most definitely not. Do I think it is wise to trust you?”, his gaze darted over to Luxa for a second, “ABSOLUTELY not. We do not even know your actual name, for goodness sake.”

The outcast wore a little smile now, as he thought he had gotten his wish, but Howard wasn’t done yet. He sighed and averted his gaze. “BUT... I also can not overlook the... sacrifices you have made, for your sake. Because, as little as I like it, Luxa is not wrong when she says many – way too many – of us owe you much.”

He took a deep breath, “My sister would be dead now, wouldn’t it have been for you. Does she still talk about you way too much? Ohh, most DEFINITELY. But... she also owes you her life. And so do... a lot of people I care about”, he shot a glance at Luxa.

Hadn’t he looked lost enough before, now he was entirely out of arguments. He just stared into the faces of these people, who had now all assembled around him, Luxa at the front. She was smiling, and he stared into her eyes, apparently unable to speak.

Then, someone nudged him from behind and the outcast shrieked. “Oh for all our sake, OF COURSE, we will lead you. I mean, is that even a question anymore?”, Thanatos’ voice sounded, and his bond jerked around, staring at him accusingly, but unable to protest.

“Will you?”, asked Luxa, and he looked back at her. Gregor thought he spotted in his eyes the exact moment he gave in.

He sighed and finally grabbed her by the shoulders. She did not push him away. “Okay. OKAY. FINE”, he audibly inhaled, “I guess I’ll stand with my friends then”, he mumbled almost to himself, before he continued – “GEEZ you people are persistent – but... but I’m not taking you home or anything!”, he bit his lip, “I show you through Hades Hall and set you on your way, then we PART WAYS. I go after the mice, you bring the kid home. Deal?”

He extended his hand to Luxa and she grinned from ear to ear before taking it. “Deal!”

The Death Rider insisted they immediately departed, even though they were all tired. He packed away his torch, helped Howard settle Hazard on Aurora and went back to Thanatos after. When Gregor climbed on Ares’ back, trying hard not to wake sleeping Boots, he suddenly heard the outcast’s voice.

“You will regret that, you know? “Of course we will lead you” – excuse me? You know exactly why I didn’t want to...”, but his bond interrupted him. “Oh sure. Like you weren’t going to say yes immediately, as soon as Luxa looked at you like that.”

The Death Rider scoffed. “I wasn’t. And now shut up, it’s not your call anymore. Or mine. But just to be clear, you are HELPING with the babysitting this time. We aren’t having a repeat of the Longclaw-quest.”

Thanatos chuckled. “Fine, fine. Probably.” The outcast elbowed him for that. “Alright, alright, and now...”, the bat nodded in the direction of the cliff, “now jump.”

Gregor listened up, slightly confused. Jump? Why did he – “You don’t seriously think that’s still a PROBLEM for me, do you?”, he heard the outcast laugh. “It’s been... what, two years? Just watch.”

He took a few steps back, started running and leaped over the edge without a single moment of hesitation. Everyone stared at the spot where he’d just been, perplexed. Luxa looked at Thanatos, who wasn’t moving. “Aren’t... you going after him?”

The bat chuckled. “Hold on... just a little longer...”, finally, after several seconds, he leaped after the outcast, and in the next moment, they darted upward again, flying a circle above the cliff. “THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR, I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY!”, Gregor thought he heard him scream, and rolled his eyes. He tightened his grip on Boots and yawned audibly. He asked himself if the outcast expected them to sleep on the fly. Maybe.

Ares lifted off, with him, Boots, and Temp, as did Aurora with Hazard and Luxa, and Nike with Howard and Thalia, who was too weakened to fly on her own. The four bats lined up in a row and one after the other followed Thanatos, out of the cave and into the dark mound of a tunnel.

Henry was hanging in the saddle, upside down, on Thanatos’ back. He was studying the map he still had from Kismet. Hades Hall – a plausible way for the nibblers to have gone, but his questions hadn’t been answered yet.

Though he had a hard time focusing on the route ahead. All Henry saw were Luxa’s eyes, the way she had looked at him... _I have come to trust you. Do not give me a reason to resign that trust._

The words rang in his ears. To... to trust him. She had come to... “What by all that’s good and right are you DOING?” A voice interrupted his thoughts and Henry opened his eyes. He was staring at Howard. Nike had apparently caught up, even with Thalia on her back, and she had started talking to Thanatos. Fantastic.

Well, at least Howard seemed about as pleased about this as Henry. The second rider on the black-and-white bat was staring at him with big, round eyes though. Before Howard could open his mouth to presumably ask about the saddle, she beat him to it. “That is... AMAZING! Howard said you are an outcast, but you help people! You helped them – you’re helping us!”

Thalia’s voice was high-pitched and adoring, Henry couldn’t help but smile. “Yep, it’s nice to meet you – Thalia, is it? I do help people – and slay monsters, big ugly rats too. Want to hear –”

But before he could ask if she wanted to hear a tale, Howard interrupted. “No, she would not like to hear anything.” He looked like he had just taken a whole bite from a sour lemon. But Thalia ignored him. “YES, YES, YES, tell me EVERYTHING!”

Henry grinned. He stored away the map, not bothering to rotate the saddle into an upright position. “Well... where do I begin?”

Henry really, REALLY did not want to call for a break. He really did not. Not with how Howard’s face looked after what ended up being almost three hours of tales from the uncharted lands by Henry, and whatever Nike was pestering Thanatos about. Luxa’s cousin legitimately looked like he was only seconds away from jumping off of Nike’s back into the black abyss below them, that was Hades Hall.

But eventually, Henry noticed the bats were all strained, Thanatos too, so he finally quit torturing Howard and landed on a ledge big enough for all of them. They all once more assembled around his torch, and Howard remained almost unnervingly quiet when Henry started passing out food. He looted the big picnic hampers the questers had brought and distributed whatever was available.

After they all had eaten, Hazard and Thalia immediately fell asleep, so did the rest of the fliers. Traversing Hades Hall hadn’t been easy, with how steep it was, and Henry couldn’t really blame them.

Boots played with Temp for a while, before she too fell asleep. The rest of them remained huddled around the torch. Henry sighed. How the hell had he let them convince him to babysit them AGAIN? And that with his most recent nightmares...

He threw a glance in Luxa’s direction and knew how. Henry suddenly noticed Gregor was staring out into the darkness, slightly unnerved. When he asked the Overlander what the matter was, he shrugged. “I... I was just wondering if... if there is anything to watch out for in here. If we need guards, and all that.”

Luxa listened up. “That would be good to know.” She glanced at Henry, then at Howard. The two exchanged a look. “Well, the depth of the tunnels is difficult to navigate. The air becomes foul as we near the Firelands”, Howard started, Henry nodded and smirked – “That, and then there are creatures who live here, who would rather not be disturbed.”

“Dangerous creatures?”, asked Gregor, he started shifting nervously.

“Some. Most will simply avoid us. Of those who would seek to do us harm, many do not fly, so we can elude them.” Henry shrugged.

“And then there are others who are not hostile but must be acknowledged”, Howard picked up again.

“Like who?”, asked Gregor.

It was as if the creature in the darkness had only been waiting for the right opportunity to break in. And when he spoke, Henry thought his ears were deceiving him for a second. “Greetings, all! I am he called Photos Glow-Glow... and she is Zap.”

Henry sat in the dark, keeping his ears peeled for noise. The rest of the questers had long gone to sleep, the fireflies too.

How very curious – here had actually been something he and Howard had agreed on. As soon as he had heard them speak, it had taken Henry half a second to realize who and what that was, another half to analyze and localize the voice, and a third half to draw Mys, leap at the shiner, grab him by the neck and press the blade to his nose.

Howard had jumped up, grabbing the halt of his sword also, not nearly as quickly as the exiled prince though.

They had wanted to eliminate the shiners instantly – Henry had remarked they had wanted to condemn him to the same fate, back on the waterway, after all. Then the shiners had recognized him, at first finding it hard to believe he was he, but a dagger to the throat often worked wonders, as Henry had discovered.

Only after Luxa had pointed out the shiners were valuable light sources, Howard had lowered his blade. Henry had hesitated before he remembered he did not carry much fuel, as he usually needed no light anymore.

Mumbling something along the lines of “damn you all, need LIGHT to survive, get over yourselves”, he had let go of Photos Glow-Glow, who had, like Zap, from that moment on, decided to keep a respectfully large distance in between them and the outcast at all times. The good part was, whenever he such as touched the handle of Mys, he could get the shiners to shut up instantly, so they had that going for them.

Having been promised food – first and foremost, cake – they had agreed to accompany them through Hades Hall, much to Henry’s and Howard’s dismay. It was... interesting they actually agreed on something for once, and Henry had the feeling neither of them was entirely comfortable with that.

But the only really important part of what the shiners had blabbed throughout their evening with the questers, was the part about the nibblers. Photos Glow-Glow had mentioned rats in Hades Hall, and both Luxa and Henry had immediately asked for them.

“They came past our lands”, Zap had responded, “After the nibblers.”

“Where?” Luxa had called, springing to her feet immediately. Henry had followed her, adding – “How many nibblers? Were the rats with them or did they flee? Was there a particular one, a black nibbler with a scar on his left cheek? Share or taste my blade!”

The shiners had winced back, behind Luxa, away from Mys. “Oh, geez, relax, you vagabond – we will tell you even if you DON’T threaten us! There must have been hundreds of them”, Zap had shrugged dismissively, “maybe thousands. I do not remember individual colors and stuff like that.”

All they had gotten out of the shiners beyond that was, that those had been the nibblers from the Fount. The ones from the jungle they had seen too, but apparently the rats had taken them straight to the Firelands.

Henry’s mind was reeling. What was the rats’ plan? Why were they hauling the nibblers up in the Firelands? The flood and the debate as to whether he should accompany the quest had taken up most of his thoughts, over the course of the last day, but now his primary mission was back in his mind.

He glanced over at Thanatos who was soundly sleeping, at Luxa, at Gregor, and Howard. Then over to Thalia, Hazard, Boots, ... Henry sighed. How would... how COULD this trip even go well?

Henry let the questers sleep for maybe five or six hours. He was too agitated and restless for more. Luxa seemed to share his distress, she ate almost no breakfast and when he threw her a glance, he saw the same worry in her eyes as he harbored himself.

Who’d have thought, Henry almost smiled, that we’d bond over... something as horrendous as this tragedy, of all things?

After the meal, they pressed on. Boots was overjoyed with the shiners’ return and Henry had to keep it together to not start vigorously laughing every time she called Photos Glow-Glow “Fofo”.

The little band hadn’t flown for five minutes when they passed the fireflies’ current home. It was an enormous cave of Hades Hall that emitted a continuous whiny buzz. Multicolored lights flashed from the inhabitants’ backsides and a few voices demanded to know what Photos Glow-Glow and Zap were doing, but none of the other bugs could be bothered to fly out and find out.

Apparently, Photos Glow-Glow and Zap were real go-getters for their species. Who’d have thought?

Hades Hall continued to veer downward at an alarming rate. They were moving deeper into the earth every moment. Thanatos had taken over Thalia from Nike, who clutched to his fur behind Henry, and the rest followed them as close as they could.

The exiled prince estimated they’d soon reach the bottom of the tunnel, and when he informed the others, he did it with a smile. “The trek will get much easier from here on, especially for the fliers.”

“We should make camp again”, Howard suggested, throwing glances at Hazard on Aurora. Henry was about to agree when he felt Thanatos beneath him stiffen up. He instinctively focused his senses for danger, his ears didn’t pick up anything that sounded too dangerous, but then he focused on what he could smell.

Henry recognized the scent instantly, it was like a wave of repressed and unwanted memories, as well as panic engulfed him together with the horrid stench. “No, we can’t. Not here.” He was surprised he could even muster up the strength to speak.

“Ohh, at least he gets it”, Zap glanced at the rest dismissively. “Are your noses of no use at all?”

Henry knew it the moment he had smelled them. He still had to look, of course, he did. When the shiners’ lights finally came close enough to the bottom and he caught his first glimpse at the scene, Henry bit down on his lip until it started bleeding.

At least a hundred mice lied twisted and motionless at the bottom of the tunnel.

Henry knew he should say something, but he could not. Not with all the images flooding his head now, not with... his brain still trying to piece together what it was seeing.

He heard Gregor screaming for someone to kill the lights, then Luxa’s voice, soothingly talking to Hazard. There had been nothing there. But Henry saw it very well, even without the lights. The occasional talking and the flapping of the fliers’ wings were sound enough for him. He had to suppress the urge to gag – and not primarily from the smell.

Thalia behind him must see them with echolocation, as I do, he thought, when he sensed the little bat shaking. He had not the stomach or nerve to comfort her though. Not now.

Henry told the party to land, as soon as they were out of the reach of the smell. All of them sat around, almost awkwardly, waiting for the kids to fall asleep so that they could move.

When Thalia, Hazard, and Boots were finally sleeping, Luxa immediately jumped up. “I must go back.” Henry swallowed. Everything in him refused to go down there, but he knew he had no choice. “I too”, he stood next to Luxa. “Howard, you are the doctor, you can stay here and watch the small ones. Gregor?” He turned to the Overlander.

The boy visibly gulped, eyed Luxa, then nodded. “I’ll come.”

They left Howard, Nike, and Temp to watch over Hazard, Boots, and Thalia. Photos Glow-Glow stayed at the campsite while Zap escorted Henry, Gregor, Luxa, and their bonds back to the mice.

When Thanatos landed among the twisted corpses, Henry had trouble keeping balance. He saw it clearly, as if it had happened only two days ago, and not two years. The smell was bearable, the cloths Howard had drenched in antiseptic and given them, to cover their mouths, helped a lot, more than anything Henry had ever had, back at the other cliff.

Scenes started flashing in his mind, a pile of rats, a puddle of blood. He stared at his feet and realized he was looking into one, almost exactly resembling the one Thanatos had pushed him into. Only by leaning on his flier, he prevented himself from falling to his knees.

“You okay?”, his bond whispered, Henry nodded. “This... this is just so...”, “...familiar?” Thanatos’ gaze was sympathetic. “I can imagine.”

As soon as he looked away from Henry, the expression on his face hardened. “This... this isn’t rats though. Quite on the contrary – I am most certain they were the ones who did this.”

Thanatos’ words burned on Henry’s mind, they took a moment to settle in, but when they did, the exiled prince could do nothing but clench his jaw, and his hand around Mys’ handle. He looked around, tried to see the innocent mice who had been chased off the cliff, and not the vicious rats around king Gorger, who had pulled him with them, all that time ago.

His gaze suddenly fixated Luxa and Gregor. They were kneeling at the wall, both with drawn blades. As Henry staggered closer, he saw they had left the mark, the scythe.

Then, Luxa stood up, only to kneel down again, at a more fitting spot. Henry saw her tearing away the cloth, reaching for her crown. He knew instantly what she was doing, and he stepped closer as she crossed her wrists over the golden band.

_ Upon this crown my pledge I give. _

_ To my last breath, I hold this choice. _

_ I will your unjust deaths avenge, all here who died without a voice. _

Henry noticed he had moved his lips to the words, as she spoke, and in a single instant, he stopped thinking.

Luxa’s head jerked up when the refined rat-tooth-blade with the gold frame hit the earth, in the middle of the golden ring she wore as crown. She opened her mouth to say something, but Henry, having already removed his cloth, beat her to it.

“I will second your oath.”

Everyone currently present stared at him, some, like Gregor, confused, some shocked, Thanatos showed a mix of pride and that “my god is he an idiot... but also he is my idiot”-look. But Henry did not care.

Luxa slowly rose to her feet, not leaving him out of her sight. “You can not”, she stated, her voice was resolute. “Only members of the royal family can speak the Vow to the Dead.”

Henry gritted his teeth. “To hell with that. I will second it, and you will not stop me.”

Luxa still stared at him, teeth gritted. “I appreciate your offer, but you are an outcast, you have not even allegiance to me. How can I take a vow like this from you?”

He took a deep breath, going over the consequences of her action in his head. He had heard the reaction of every creature present, probably more than the others even. He knew very well what this vow was, what it meant. What it would bring.

“You will need every ally you can get if you are going to war. And that I can offer –”, he threw her a determined hint of a smile, “as an unaligned party, I can, in times of war, pledge my allegiance to one of the sides. And I wish to do that today, your Majesty.” At least that he remembered from the classes on politics.

Luxa’s mouth stood slightly agape. Henry took a deep breath and stood over the crown and the dagger. His crown. It was the same material, after all. He crossed his wrists and opened his hands, for her to take.

Luxa hesitated for a moment, he saw her glimpse at Aurora, but finally, her eyes darted back to him. Henry had no idea which part of his little speech had convinced her, if any. But whatever it had been, it had worked.

She stood across him, on the other side of their shared insignia. Her crown, his dagger. She crossed her wrists again and took his hands.

For a moment, Henry thought, nothing had happened between them, that they were still as they had always been – like brother and sister – because how could they not? Here they stood, pledging to fight a war for the lives of their shared friends.

_ Upon this blade my pledge I give. _

_ To my last breath, I hold this choice. _

_ I will your unjust deaths avenge, all here who died without a voice. _

Henry repeated the vow, modifying the words slightly, to fit him. He glanced at Luxa.

_ We will your unjust deaths avenge, all here who died without a voice _ , they finally spoke unanimously, as if they had rehearsed it.

Henry heard more murmur follow their words, but he blanked it out, it did not matter. Not when he was standing here, holding Luxa’s hands, sealing their fates together for as long as this conflict would last.

The almost ceremonial atmosphere was violently disrupted when from somewhere they heard a loud groan. Luxa immediately let go of his hands and Henry followed her over to the source. The tip of a tail shuddered.

Luxa instantly raced to the live nibbler’s side and crouched beside him, stroking his fur. He could not speak.

“Let’s get him to Howard”, Henry heard Gregor. He nodded. Together, the three of them loaded the mouse onto Ares’ back.

When Gregor had already mounted up and threw them a glance, asking if they were coming, Henry and Luxa exchanged looks. “Right away”, she answered, looking around. “There could be more who still have light.”

Henry focused his hearing. Nothing. Still – he hadn’t heard this one before he had woken up either. There could still be some alive. That’s what he told himself at least, as he watched Ares with Gregor and the nibbler disappear out of sight.

He heard Luxa beside him audibly breathe in. He felt she was looking at him, and he returned the glance. They needn’t words. They never had.


	7. Intentions

Gregor stared into the darkness, biting his lip. He was sitting between Luxa and Ares, the Death Rider hadn’t put up a campfire this time, to conserve fuel.

After he and Ares had returned with the injured mouse, who had introduced himself as Cartesian, Howard had been taken up with tending to his wounds for a while. But then, Luxa and the outcast had returned, and it had fallen to her to tell her cousin what had happened – what they had done.

Howard had not been pleased with her decision to declare war, but he had gotten almost furious when he had found out she and the outcast had done it together. He had called it madness to tie your fate to someone you didn’t even know the name of, and Gregor still heard their angry voices, even now, maybe half an hour after their argument had died down.

His gaze darted over to where Howard sat with Nike, a little offside, watching Cartesian carefully. He was obviously still angry, but Luxa seemed to care little. Gregor saw her and Aurora whisper with each other, throwing glances at the Death Rider occasionally.

Gregor himself had kept out of the argument, not because he had no opinion, but because he didn’t want to cause Luxa even more sorrow, not now. He knew that Howard was right, that declaring war was never the answer – he tried hard to think of a different way, something less... violent, to solve their problem, but he couldn’t. Especially not after he had seen the corpses of the mice in that pit.

Now they were all kind of... sitting around, unsure what to do and when to continue. The bats needed rest, and so did Cartesian and Hazard. After they all had eaten, the injured had gone to sleep. Gregor expected the Death Rider to soon tell them to rest too and assign the order of watch. But currently, he seemed occupied talking to his bond and paid little attention to his surroundings or his leadership duties.

Suddenly he saw Nike, previously next to Howard, shift. She moved away from Luxa’s cousin, to his obvious disdain, and approached the Death Rider and Thanatos

“Oh but you must tell us at last what that curious contraption is you wear around your neck. Aurora, Ares and I have been wondering, as I am sure, have our bonds!” Gregor thought her voice sounded almost artificially charming like she was trying too hard, but Thanatos didn’t seem to care or notice at all.

“You must have seen what it does, surely, by now”, he muttered, not looking too particularly interested in a conversation.

The outcast nudged him with a grin. “Oh actually, he would love nothing more than to explain in all detail, Nike!” Thanatos’ head jolted up, he death-glared at his bond, who grinned. “Come on, don’t you want to share your oh-so-great love for this thing with her?”

His eyes narrowed, “this is the promised revenge for me telling these guys you want to lead them, is it not?”, he mumbled, his bond only grinned, lightly patting his head.

“Among others”, his grin widened. “You can thank me later, Nike!”, he called, standing up and leaving the bats to themselves. Ares and Aurora, even Thalia, soon all clustered around Thanatos, eager to hear what the weird thing was. Gregor was about to stand up and join, as he was equally curious, when the Death Rider approached him and Luxa on his own accord.

“So, will you explain to us, in that case?” Luxa had apparently been wondering herself. Gregor saw the gaze she threw him was friendly and wondered if something had changed, in the way she perceived him, ever since their shared vow.

He grinned and sat down. The humans, save Howard who was still with Cartesian, soon assembled around him. Photos Glow-Glow and Zap too, they settled in the middle, while Gregor with sleeping Boots in his arms, Luxa, and even Hazard, who had woken up from the commotion, sat around him. And so the Death Rider finally began to talk.

“A saddle?”, Luxa sounded shocked, and he saw instantly she had something against the thought of putting a saddle on a bat. It had never come up before, but now Gregor suddenly asked himself why the Underlanders didn’t use saddles.

Before she could freak out, the outcast proceeded to explain it wasn’t an ordinary saddle, more like a nifty gadget to help them in battle. It allowed a rotation by 360 degrees, which made both rider and bat more agile and unpredictable.

“It was a goddamn hassle to get used to, though”, he chuckled. “Took us nearly two months before we could even properly use it in battle. Had to unlearn everything we knew about fighting as a team – but HELL, it was worth it.”

“I do not see why you even allowed him to put a saddle on you”, Gregor heard Ares’ voice from where the bats were sitting, he was addressing Thanatos. “There is nothing that could persuade me to strap on a thing like that.”

Gregor heard Thanatos sigh. “I thought the same once, but... I can hardly deny the benefits it brings in battle. It took a while to get used to the thought of having it on, but... HELL, it was worth it.”

Gregor suddenly remembered the outcast’s words, back when they had been about to embark on their quest to save Stellovet. He had pointed out how Thanatos’ bags were a useful thing to have and the outcast had responded he should see what else he was working on. Had he meant the saddle?

Gregor eyed the contraption and couldn’t help but admit it sounded like a useful aid, at the same time he knew he would never be persuaded to use something comparable himself. He had mostly gotten over his fear of heights while flying, but he really didn’t need to make the whole thing even more like riding a rollercoaster. He really... didn’t.

The next few hours flew by them, Gregor had finally found the time to ask the Death Rider where he had spent his time after they had parted ways, almost half a year ago. He had once again drawn all gazes in when he had announced they had taken a... “vacation” in the uncharted lands.

“You... you went beyond the maps? Just you and Thanatos?” Luxa’s eyes were round and big and Gregor saw a considerable amount of admiration in them. A part of her probably envies him a lot, he thought, that particular part would give anything to be able to have a life as adventurous as his.

“Oh yes, and you will not BELIEVE half the things we saw.” The outcast grinned and from then on, there was no stopping him from telling countless tales. Not that Gregor had been complaining... too much.

“Okay, I think that’s about enough”, Gregor finally heard the outcast call, after hours of stories.

Later, Luxa had wanted to take a closer look at his new sword, the giant one with the black blade – Gregor still couldn’t remember what its name had been. All he recalled was, that it had made him think of charcoal when the outcast had first introduced it, back at the Fount.

It was almost taller than Luxa herself, but she had found great enjoyment in swinging it around. Then, she had insisted on taking a look at the rest of his arsenal and the two had gone over it together while Gregor had taken Boots and Hazard to sleep. He cared little for weapons.

Now, the outcast packed everything away and sheathed the giant sword to store it. He called together everyone who wasn’t sleeping yet to distribute watch times, finally.

Gregor took a few steps in his direction, and so did Boots. She had been clinging to his leg ever since she had woken up, maybe an hour ago. Gregor had given her the binoculars again, to entertain herself, but she could only find so much enjoyment in them.

Suddenly, Thanatos whizzed by their heads, Gregor had not even seen him take off. “I’ll scout ahead a little”, he called, his bond nodded. Maybe he wanted to avoid running into more scenes like the cliff with the dead mice unprepared, Gregor thought.

Suddenly, the up until now surprisingly quiet, Boots, let go off Gregor’s leg and ran after the bat, as best she could. “Me too! Me fly!”

Several alarms went off in Gregor’s head when he saw her heading for the cliff, he took a few steps in her direction to prevent her from running over the ledge, but the outcast was faster.

Before she could reach the edge he scooped her up in his arms and she giggled. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”, he laughed while she reached for his hair immediately. Boots loved playing with long hair, she always tangled that of Lizzie and their mother’s, and now his.

“Me fly!”, she called now, tugging at his ponytail. “You make me fly!”

Gregor, who had taken a few steps in their direction to fetch Boots, froze in his tracks. What was she talking about?

“You let me fly!”, she called again, “like before, like before! Me fly!”

Gregor now saw the expression on the outcast’s face change too. His smile vanished and he clenched his jaw. “Oh Gregor”, he called out to him, “I believe your sister has me confused with someone.”

Gregor laughed. “Yeah... or she refers to how you spun her, back in the jungle.”

His chuckle was almost... nervous. “That could be possible. I think you should put her back to sleep, or she will come up with more fantastic stories. Won’t you?”, he grinned at Boots, “oh, what else would you have me do?”

She laughed. “You make me fly”, she patted his nose, “I fly. Then bats catch me. You throw me, and I fly!”

Gregor furrowed his brows. What? “Boots, you must confuse him with someone. He never made you fly. Did you?” He raised an eyebrow at the outcast while receiving Boots from him.

“No!”, he called and Gregor turned back to Boots. “What do you even mean, “throw you”? Nobody ever...”, suddenly, Gregor froze. “Oh, oh Boots, you have that confused. It was Henry who threw you last time”, he glanced at the outcast, “that’s the Death Rider, that’s not Henry! I think you’re mixing things up.”

How was she even making that connection? The two had probably been about the same height and age, but other than that there were little similarities. They had both been Underlanders – oh well, maybe the commonly shared features of all people down here had been enough for Boots. Though she usually never mixed up faces. Hell, she could even tell apart the cockroaches!

Boots continued to argue for a while but soon grew too tired to care. When she was finally soundly sleeping, Gregor got up. He had been assigned first watch, and he was not about to spend it sleeping.

Gregor sat in silence, trying to keep his ears peeled for danger. Zap was cowering nearby, the fireflies usually took turns assisting the watchers. In a few hours, he was supposed to wake Luxa to take over.

His head was still spinning from the events of the day – the mice in the pit, the oath, then the incredible stories the outcast had told. Gregor was infinitely glad nobody forced him to go to any of those places. All the dangers and creatures he had described sounded like they had come straight from his nightmares. He was, at this point, glad to stick to a known enemy, a known friend.

He scolded himself as he realized he’d forgotten to ask the outcast how he had solved his perception-problem, once more, when he heard someone approach from behind.

“Is it too early for me to take over yet?”, he heard Luxa ask, shortly before she sat down next to him. Gregor shrugged. “Yes, but... we can keep watch together if you want.”

She nodded. “I have difficulties sleeping, as of lately.”

Gregor knew she most likely lied awake contemplating the fate of the mice, but he thought it was best if he didn’t bring that up now. He knew her thoughts dwelled on it anyway, but he thought maybe they could have a nice, normal conversation again, like they always used to before all this had happened, if only he could keep her thoughts off the mice for once.

“Can you believe the things the Death Rider described?”, he asked instead, throwing her a glance.

She smirked a little. “It seems unbelievable. But who am I to doubt him? I have never ventured beyond the maps, nobody half-sane does. Nobody save him, apparently.” She didn’t look at Gregor. “We would send our defeated enemy there, at best.”

They sat in silence for a while, but soon Gregor realized his decision to keep her thoughts of the mice might not work. He had trouble not thinking about them himself, after all.

“That... that oath you made earlier”, maybe he at least could ask for that, “what exactly was it?”

She did not look at him. “The Vow to the Dead, it is reserved for those of royal blood, those who wear a crown. It is used when there is unjust death or suffering. It binds the person who speaks it to strive for revenge until their goal is reached – or they die.”

Gregor bit his lip. “That’s one hell of a commitment then.”

“I do not regret making it”, was all she responded.

“What about the Death Rider?”, Gregor finally asked, “He is not of royal blood, is he? Does it even count for him?” He still saw before his inner eye the crown and the dagger, their entwined hands over them.

Luxa shook her head. “I do not know. It has never been spoken by someone who wasn’t royalty before, all I know is that he will treat it as it counts. And so will I.”

Gregor wanted to ask for details, but when he tried remembering the exact words, he couldn’t. Well, to be fair, he had only heard it twice. Twice – wait. He furrowed his brows. “Hey – this vow, is it a commonly known thing down here? Like, would you even know the words if you’re not royal, or have something to do with royalty?”

Luxa froze. She had apparently understood. “What – no, not really, I...”, she pondered, “I did not give a thought to why he knew it before. And not just that...”

Gregor didn’t need to ask, she continued on her own. “That... what we did, holding hands and all that... you could argue he remembered the words from when I spoke it, but that...”, she looked at him, “It is a very special thing for two people to take the vow the way we did. We do not simply pledge our lives to revenge, we tie our fates together until the goal is accomplished. It is not just revenge – it is unified revenge.”

“But how did he know that?” Gregor’s gaze darted over to the Death Rider, in Zap’s light he saw him, sleeping, head on Thanatos’ back, as usual.

Luxa had no answer. She followed his gaze and sighed. “Howard did not like what I did, not because I declared war, but because I tied him to our group, to myself, more than he would like.”

“I mean...”, Gregor gulped. He would have to be careful to not seem as if he disliked the outcast, but he had to say this at some point. “I mean, I can see why he would be. He... I still think he is a good person, but... we do not even know his real name. It’s not like Howard has no reason to... disapprove of it.”

Luxa sighed. “I know. I have been thinking about that, actually. I always think he will tell us on his own when he is ready, but then again... why would he even hesitate? Can you think of a reason?”

Gregor pondered – why would someone hide their name? It was a strange thing to conceal, a name was not incriminating or overly private, not usually.

“I don’t know. I... I don’t even know if you guys did the right thing.” He could only hold his opinion on Luxa’s decision for so long. “I mean, I get why you did it – but... war? Don’t you think that’s a little... rash? Wouldn’t there have been a better way?”

Her expression immediately hardened and Gregor thought maybe he should not have said anything. But there was no going back now.

“As in?”, said Luxa. Her tone was icy.

Gregor hesitated. “I don’t have any off the top of my head”, he started kneading his hands. “But I bet I can come up with something a little less extreme.”

“Well, when you do, I would love to hear it”, Luxa sounded agitated. “I am sure it will dazzle us all.” She was mocking him. He might as well have been talking to Ripred.

Gregor stared at her a moment. “It was pretty easy, starting a war”, he said.

Luxa shrugged. “It was not difficult.”

“I wonder what it will take to get out of it?” Gregor eyed her from the corner of his eye. How far had she even thought this through?

“I doubt you will ever find out. Since you are going home”, Luxa did not look at him. “We, on the other hand, must stay and live here.”

She ignored him from that point on, and Gregor decided maybe it was for the best if he left her alone for a while. She looked like she wanted some time to herself and he headed to bed, not without constantly glancing back at her though.

The next morning, after they had finished their sparse breakfast, they realized space on the bats was becoming an issue. With Cartesian and Hazard, who both needed to lie down, it would be difficult to distribute them all, and the huge supply crates, on the four bats.

In the end, the Death Rider assigned Luxa with Hazard on Aurora, Gregor with Boots and Temp on Ares and Howard with Cartesian on Nike. As every bat was taken up by more than one rider, except for Thanatos, he had his bond carry all their supplies, and himself. Thalia would have to fly on her own.

It did not take more than an hour to cover the stretch of Hades Hall that was flat. Then the tunnel began to tilt upward as rapidly as it had dipped before.

If the trip down had required patient navigation from the bats, they had been allowed to coast for much of it. Now that they were flying upward, it required real physical exertion, but they seemed to be moving faster. Thalia began to fall behind as the morning wore on. By lunch, it was clear the little bat was done in.

“I think we have to do a bit of rearranging”, the Death Rider announced during lunch. “Death, can you take Thalia? She can easier hold on to the saddle than to the fur of another bat. I will put some of the supplies on Ares and fly with someone else myself.”

His bond nodded. “Of course, no problem.”

“Cartesian is heavy, and Howard as well, so I do not think Nike can manage more than that”, he continued. His gaze darted back and forth between Ares and Aurora.

“You and Temp can fly with me”, Gregor’s bond said, “You are heavier than Gregor, with Luxa and Hazard Aurora will not carry you far.”

The outcast hesitated for a second. Gregor just had enough opportunity to ask himself why, when he realized where that left him. With Luxa.

“Aurora, you okay with three riders?”, the Death Rider addressed her but the golden bat nodded without hesitation. “They are light, and I am not made off glass.”

Gregor just about saw the Death Rider approach Ares, first to load some of the supplies on his back, then he helped Temp and mounted up himself. “Death, I think you’d best still lead the way”, he called to his bond, “Ares and I will be at the back, to watch for the others.”

Gregor saw Thanatos nod and lift off, then he turned his attention back to Aurora. Luxa was probably no more thrilled about the travel arrangements than him, but there was nothing either of them could say.

Gregor took a seat on Aurora’s neck, facing forward. Luxa sat with her back to Gregor’s, so she could amuse Hazard as they flew. The boy lied facing Luxa, with his feet on her lap.

For the first few hours, Luxa basically ignored Gregor. She passed the time by playing word games with Hazard. When that grew old, she told him the Underland-equivalent of the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood.”

Later Gregor finally found the words to address her. He hated leaving fights unresolved, especially with people he cared as much about as Luxa.

Luckily, she seemed to have no hard feelings from last night, and soon they were leaning against each other, laughing. Gregor thought maybe this arrangement wasn’t so bad after all. It was actually nice. He sat very still, not wanting her to move away. Not wanting to think about wars. Or going home. Just wanting to sit close to her, in peace and quiet.

They flew a long while like that. The air grew warmer and a bad smell soon reached his nose. Like rotten eggs. That must be sulfur... and smoke, Gregor thought. We must be near the top of Hades Hall. Howard said the air would get foul as we came to the Firelands.

Aurora banked for a curve in the tunnel and at that moment the fireflies blacked out. Gregor could still see some, though. For a moment he was confused and thought they might be in the jungle. As his eyes adjusted to the dim reddish light, he realized they had left Hades Hall and entered a whole new world.

It was like flying over some far-off planet. It was impossible to tell how long the cavern was, but it was only about twenty feet high. The ground was desolate, pitted with craters, covered with ashy dust that swirled up in small clouds and then settled down again. It did not seem that anything could survive here.

But something was very much alive. Gregor could just make out the creatures’ backs a few hundred yards away. They were rodents of some kind.

A number of small ones were gathering around a gray figure, which towered over them. At first, Gregor thought they had caught up to the mice and one of their rat guards. Then the gray figure gave a shake, freeing itself of a layer of ashes and revealing a pearl-white coat.

As soon as he had spotted them, Thanatos took a sharp turn and the other bats followed close-by. They landed in a hollow space in the wall to their right. It was barely deep enough to be called a cave, but it did shelter them from the rats’ direct line of vision.

“The dust should prevent them from smelling us”, Howard remarked, throwing a questioning glance at the Death Rider who shrugged. “I’ve never used it before, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Gregor could hear the crowd of rats he had seen talking. But there were no angry cries to attack. “I think it does work... and they must not have seen us either”, he whispered.

“No”, replied Aurora. “Their eyes are fixed upon... upon... is it him?”

“Yeah, that’s the Bane”, said Gregor, sliding off her back. Howard and Luxa joined him as he peered around the stone opening to get a better look.

“Gregor, can I have your glasses? The ones for spotting things in the distance?”, the Death Rider was beside him suddenly, and Gregor fetched the binoculars from his bag and gave them to him. “Sure, here you go.”

He held them to his face and looked through, mumbling something along the lines of “remarkable... need to ask Teslas to make one of these when we catch up to him.”

“Let me see too!”, Boots called suddenly, lighting up her scepter.

“No, Boots! We need it to stay dark.” Gregor quickly confiscated the scepter and slipped it into his backpack. “I’ll give it back soon,” he promised.

What followed, was horrifying. The Bane, no longer the whiny teenager Gregor had seen with Ripred, almost three months before Hazard’s birthday party, was no longer. His voice was deep and commanded attention. And attention it got.

With growing horror, the group listened to his speech, almost not believing their ears. Gregor slumped back against the wall inside the cave, after the Bane had finished, breathless and dazed. “Oh, no.”

“What will he do to the nibblers?”, Aurora asked and received no response. “What does he mean, to drive them to a place that allows no return?”

“I do not know. Out of the Underland for certain”, Howard pondered.

“And into the Uncharted Lands”, Luxa added. Nobody disagreed, even though Gregor saw the outcast avert his gaze to exchange a glance with Thanatos.

The rat noise began to die down a little.

It was not just the viciousness of his speech that had stunned Gregor though, it was its persuasiveness. “Twirltongue has been coaching him”, Gregor mumbled. “Putting ideas in his head. Teaching him how to say them. And now he believes it all.”

The Death Rider jerked around. “Did... did you just say Twirltongue?”

Gregor looked up at him, surprised. He had spoken so quietly nobody else had heard him. “Yes, why...?”, he carefully asked and the outcast gave a silent but visibly annoyed sigh. “That... I don’t believe it. That’s what you get for killing ONE bitch, a second one rises in her place instantly.”

At Gregor’s confused expression he added – “Tonguetwist, you remember her?” He nodded and the outcast spoke on – “She once told me the name of her daughter, I am almost certain it was Twirltongue. So we all know what to expect of her...”

Gregor opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a loud groan. Cartesian had been stirring in his drug-induced sleep. The Bane’s words must have filtered into his dreams. “No!”, he cried out. “No!” As desperately as they tried to shush him, it was no use. “Where are the others?”, he screamed, his head turning from side to side. “Where are the others!”

Gregor allowed just one eye to slip around the cave wall. It was enough to see that the army of rats was galloping for them. “They heard! Mount up! Get out of here!”

They reloaded the bats in a moment. Gregor grabbed Boots and climbed onto Aurora, quickly followed by Luxa. Howard had his hands full keeping the frantic Cartesian on Nike’s back. “Where are the others! Where are the others!” Thanatos scooped up Thalia and Temp before flying ahead, followed by the Death Rider on Ares.

As soon as they were airborne, they were recognized. The rats began to shout, “The Warrior! Queen Luxa!” Some were laughing, almost crazed by their good fortune of trapping such excellent quarry so easily.

“Where to?”, called Aurora, Gregor’s gaze fell on Thanatos who seemed to know as little as they. “I don’t know! We need more light!”, he called, expecting the bright shiner beams to turn on. But there was no response. “Shiners!” He turned his head from side to side, trying to locate the bugs. “Where are they?”

“Gone!”, Howard called in disgust. “They headed back into Hades Hall the moment we left the cave!”

“Gah – I will kill them!”, the outcast cried before addressing Thanatos again. “Just... just pick a tunnel!”, he shouted at his bond, trying to secure the supplies on Ares’ back.

Following his suggestion, Thanatos randomly dove into one of the tunnels, the others followed. The rats had not quite reached them, but they were only seconds away and there would be no turning back. Gregor could hear them calling from the entrance, laughing and taunting. And suddenly he started having a bad feeling about this. “They don’t seem too unhappy about our escape.”

“That can only mean one thing”, he could hear Luxa’s voice sounded distressed. “Whatever lies in this tunnel wants us as dead as the rats do.”

The words had just left her mouth when Thanatos gave a warning. “Arm yourselves! Stingers! Arm yourselves!”

The bats swooped into a huge chamber. Waiting on the floor with their tails poised in the air were a pair of giant scorpions.


	8. Life for Life

Henry sensed them before he saw them, in what sparse light Gregor’s lightstick gave off. The two stingers were about ten and twelve feet long. In addition to eight legs, each had a pair of pinchers snapping before it and their giant tails with the deadly stingers they instantly began to swing at the fliers who did their best to dodge.

He had fought stingers in the arena before, but back then, he had been grounded, and it had only been one at a time. This was very different.

Ares had been flying last, and Henry had no time to check on Thanatos. He instantly drew his sword, he picked Charos for this battle as the stingers were ginormous, and swung it at an approaching tail.

Somewhere came a call for more light – but Henry ignored it. He focused on the sounds the stingers made, it was enough to visualize them clearly.

“Can you fight?”, Ares asked suddenly, and when Henry took his time checking on the others, he realized why. Howard had his hands full keeping Cartesian on Nike’s back, Luxa was facing the wrong way and Gregor had to restrain his baby sister. None of them had even drawn a weapon yet.

“I can, don’t worry”, he responded, leaning forward over Ares’ neck to get a better view.

“There is light in one of the hampers”, Ares continued, dodging a tail and flying a spiral upward.

“Don’t need that, just keep dodging – and bring me as close to them as you can.” Henry had no time to explain. He wished he was riding Thanatos, oh how useful their saddle would be at this very moment. But no – he was stuck on Ares instead, Ares, of all fliers, too.

He hadn’t felt comfortable riding on him for a single moment, the several-hour flight had started with a semi-awkward silence, only made better by the fact that Ares hadn’t recognized him. Finally, Henry had just taken out his carving supplies and spent the flight working on a new figurine, and later doodling a little. Now, they were facing battle though, and things weren’t going too well, by the looks of it.

“What do you mean you don’t need light?” Henry silently groaned – was now really the time for questions? “I’ll explain later, just trust me!”, he cried, registering a tail from above and ducking away.

“Sever their tails!”, he heard Howard shout, and suddenly had an idea. He sheathed Charos and took out the boomerang. It took Henry only a second to aim, and with deadly precision, the projectile whizzed towards the tail of the larger stinger.

The creature cried in pain, but he had dodged so that the boomerang hadn’t severed the tail entirely, just left a bloody mark. “Catch it!”, Henry screamed at Ares and the black flier had understood so much that he darted after the boomerang. Henry caught it just about and instantly prepared to throw it again when the image his echolocation showed him made him freeze in his tracks. “DEATH!”

One of the stingers’ pinchers had grabbed onto Thanatos’ leg now, shaking him until Thalia had to let go. Instantly, Henry threw the boomerang at the claw holding his bond and the stinger let go so that Thanatos could get away. But Thalia wasn’t so lucky.

Ares prepared to dart down, after the little bat, and Henry readied his sword to defend her, but it was too late. Lightning fast, the smaller one of the stingers attacked and pinned Thalia’s wings to the ground with her pinchers. Her tail flipped over her head, poised for the kill. Thalia let out a piteous cry, knowing she was moments from death.

“No!”, shrieked Hazard. “No!” Henry registered he had wrenched himself free of Luxa and leaped off Aurora’s back. Fortunately, the golden flier was only about twelve feet above the ground and he managed to land on his hands and feet. He scrambled straight over to Thalia, kneeled above her head, and extended his hands up to block the stinger. “No!”

How much a little knowledge of different languages could do, Gregor thought, shaking his head at the scene before him.

The group was sitting around the Death Rider’s torch, he had poured the last remains of fuel, and dining. The bats had gone fishing, the fish was delicious and finally grilled, after they had eaten it raw the last days. Boots was sitting on the back of the smaller scorpion, happily petting her babies. Hazard was chatting with the bigger one, in crawler.

After the little boy had calmed the scorpions down, informing them the party wasn’t here to fight, they had talked a little and found they weren’t so bad after all. Like Hamnet had once said, Gregor remembered, most creatures apparently really didn’t want to fight, if not necessary.

Howard had tended to the wound on the tail of the larger one, and the outcast had told Hazard to apologize in his name. He said things like that happened when they were in the heat of battle, and Gregor couldn’t really blame him either – he had a point. Any of them could have injured each other. Luckily, the scorpion seemed to understand and harbored no hard feelings.

Maybe an hour passed, the questers had needed this break direly, all of them. Howard switched the bandages from both Hazard and Cartesian, and the Death Rider decided it was a good time to finally re-organize their supplies. He turned the hampers upside down and sorted out everything that had become unconsumable for the humans, out, which had shrunken their supplies by so much it all fitted into a single hamper, which he gave Ares to carry.

The rest he had offered the scorpions as an offer for peace, and the had seemed happy about it.

“Gregor, you got something in your backpack?”, he asked, grabbing the bag Gregor had left with the other supply hampers.

“Eh, no, there is nothing in there, that –”, but before Gregor could stop him, the outcast had turned his bag upside down and shaken the contents out. Before him lied Gregor’s things, all not worth mentioning. The Death Rider was about to pack everything back when he suddenly picked up a black case someone had stored at the bottom of the backpack.

“What in the world is this?”, he asked, looking for a way to open it.

“Eh... could you leave that alone, it’s whatever!” Who had put the bag with the camera in his backpack? Gregor didn’t remember doing it himself. But of course, the outcast did not listen.

He had finally found the zipper and opened it. Out fell, to Gregor’s horror, essentially every single picture he had taken during Hazard’s birthday.

The outcast kneeled down, staring at them in amazement. “What in the world is this...?”

Gregor sighed. He had already explained the concept of photography to the Underlanders, would he need to do it again?

Luckily, the Death Rider seemed to catch on quickly and was soon rummaging through the photos. To Gregor’s horror, the one he picked out to take a closer look at was one he hadn’t made himself. Had he actually left the camera with his mother when he...

“Goodness, Gregor, you look like you have the most painful of stomach aches AND feel a strong nature’s call AT THE SAME TIME!” He broke into uncontrolled laughter and tossed the photo on the floor, for everyone to see – Gregor with maybe five or six kids, at Hazard’s party – doing the Hokey Pokey.

When Luxa and Howard saw it, they too started wheezing. “Ohh you should have seen it when it happened – it was ten times better!”, Luxa giggled so much she almost choked on her fish.

Gregor wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the earth and never resurface. He thought it couldn’t get any worse, when Boots discovered the photos too. “Me dance! Me Hokey, me Pokey!”, she giggled and instantly started dancing where she stood.

By this point, all of them – Luxa, Howard, the Death Rider, and their bats were wheezing, Nike and Ares too. Gregor just kind of... sat there, trying to not look at them and listen to their occasional chatter when a small hand grabbed onto his. “You come dance, you do Hokey Pokey with me!”

He threw Boots a glare, “No, no – ask Hazard, he can dance with you. Can you dance with her?” But the boy was still too taken up with talking to the scorpion to be interested in dances.

“Oh no, no, she asked you”, the outcast called, “I will not be robbed of this experience – dance away!”

Gregor shot them all death glares an moved not a single inch. He liked the Death Rider, but he also behaved like a jerk sometimes. Now, he and Luxa were sitting next to each other, unanimously chanting “Ho-key Po-key, Ho-key, Po-key!” and Gregor deliberately averted his gaze.

Which quest even was this? The current one – or the first one, where he had had to sit through similar taunting from Luxa and Henry, back then. He sighed, deciding the outcast, while not bad per-se, seemed to be a similarly bad influence on Luxa as her dead cousin had been.

But he would not give in this time. His mom was not here now, and none of them had the authority to force this on him again.

Luckily, Boots soon lost interest in the dance as she started looking through the pictures. She had made it her mission to find every single one that had herself on it and Gregor was infinitely glad she had found something to do that would NOT humiliate him any further.

He was just about to pack the actual camera away when the Death Rider picked it up. “So this is the thing that makes the pictures?”, he asked, still wearing his wide trademark-grin. He had taken off his coat and the belt with the swords, it lied by the supply crates, and looked much more relaxed now than he had in a while.

Gregor contemplated whether he should bother being angry at him, but then decided it was for the best to just forget anything had ever happened.

“Yes. You point it at whatever you want to capture and press this button”, he explained, “then, you wait a couple seconds and the picture comes out here.”

The Death Rider inspected it for a moment, turned it in his hand and looked through it at Gregor. Before he could tell the outcast to not make any more pictures of him, he turned the camera around instead and held it as far from his own face as he could, before pressing the release button.

He cried in shock and surprise from the flash and almost dropped the camera. Instantly, he had the attention of everyone. “What were you doing?”, Luxa asked as they watched the picture materialize.

“Yes, you... you were holding it the wrong way. You’re supposed to point it away from you.” Gregor chuckled a little at the sight of the outcast’s face on the picture he had just taken. It had captured the shocked grimace from the flash and they all giggled, even the Death Rider himself.

The outcast turned to Gregor, grinning at his own photo. “But what if I wanted to take a picture of myself?”

Gregor’s mouth stood slightly agape, he had no response to that.

“You accomplished perfection!”, Luxa grinned and held the picture high. “I will keep this, for further reference.”

“You... wait, your first impulse was to... to take a picture of yourself?” Gregor was still slightly irritated by that.

The outcast picked up the camera again, pointing it at Thanatos now, who had, to his surprise, been lying with Nike these last hours. The appeared to be talking. “Yes, why? Is that not something you do?”

“Oh, no, you do do that”, Gregor chuckled, “it even has a name. When you take pictures of yourself, that’s called a “selfie”. I just... I’m surprised it was the first thing you thought of, that’s all.”

“I will add “Inventor of Selfies” to my list of titles then!”, he grinned before taking a picture of Thanatos and Nike. “Also, if you expected me to give this thing back to you anytime soon, you are wrong. It is far too powerful of a tool. What is it called again?”

“Okay, now all line up! We are taking a group picture!” The Death Rider called, maybe half an hour and what had felt like a hundred photos later. He couldn’t get enough of the camera, and Gregor was getting tired of all the fuss he made about it. “How do you make it so that the flash comes with a timer?”

Gregor sighed and took the camera from him. He set a ten-second timer and the Death Rider grabbed him and dragged him over to the group. Luxa and Howard were being pulled in too, Boots was already waiting, and Luxa fetched Hazard. The bats lined up in the back.

The outcast wrapped one of his arms around Gregor with Boots, the other around Luxa with Hazard. Howard stood next to him with Thanatos and Nike to his left and Ares to his right. Thalia was at the front, on her back cowered a slightly confused Temp.

When the flash went off, the outcast gave a short cry. Boots had discovered his hair again and at that very moment decided to tug at it. Everyone laughed, even the outcast.

“This picture is the most glorious of them all!”, Luxa laughed, and Gregor had to admit it was half-decent.

“And once more!”, the outcast called, “I’m assuming almost all of you will want to keep a copy.”

Over the next ten minutes, they made three more, and Gregor was worn out completely. “Hey, is it not fun?” Luxa suddenly came up from behind him, and to Gregor’s surprise, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Before he could ask, he felt her hair brush his face and saw a flash. “Great work, Luxa, this one is beautiful! One to keep for both of you.”

Gregor’s head jolted towards the outcast who was still looking through the camera. “Oh come on, you could have at least warned me!”, he sulked, but before he could complain more, he was handed the camera. “Your turn!”

Gregor was about to ask what he should photograph when he looked through the camera and just about saw the outcast pick Luxa up. She cried in surprise when he tossed her in the air like she weighed nothing. That’s when Gregor pressed the release button.

He chuckled at her entirely baffled face in the photo, even he had to admit this was a good one. He had captured the exact moment when she had hovered in the air, only moments before the Death Rider had caught her again. His face was mischievous, little reminded of the beaten-down, emaciated man he remembered from shortly after the flood.

Gregor could just about wonder what had happened when Luxa took the picture from him. “You better let me keep this one”, she grinned at the outcast, who smiled. “But then we’ll have to make one more, as I want one too.”

Henry chuckled at the weird gadget, the “camera”, how Gregor had called it, in his hands. What a powerful tool indeed. He was contemplating how many pictures of various people he could secretly make, to blackmail them with later, when a voice interrupted him.

“Can me look?”

Henry stared down at Boots, she was clinging to his fur boot again. Her brother should have already gone to sleep, and so should most the others. They had extinguished the light but the exiled prince sensed Howard near Cartesian, Luxa with Hazard and only a few feet away Gregor, the boy was sitting up though.

“Hey, Gregor, shouldn’t you be asleep? I’m taking first watch tonight”, he called, bowing down and picking up Boots, before carrying her over to her brother. “And you, little missy, you better watch what you’re saying or you’ll spill my secret!”, he grinned at her and his voice was hushed as he spoke to Boots, “and we don’t want that now, do we?”

She just giggled and tugged at his hair some more. “But you make me fly!”, she called. Henry sighed.

Out of all people who could have recognized him – it had to have been the baby. Oh well, at least nobody took her seriously enough for it to become a problem. At least.

“There you go, I think you let her nap too much during the day”, he handed her over to Gregor, the boy sighed. “I think so too. Oh well, I’m going to try to put her to bed. And yes, I’ll go soon myself. Good night!”

“Night”, he called to Gregor, before strolling over to Thanatos, or at least to where he had expected Thanatos. Surprisingly enough, his bond wasn’t there. Henry scanned the room for him and no – his perception hadn’t deceived him – there he was, close to the other bats. Ares and Aurora had curled up together and... Thanatos was there too, side by side with... Nike. On his back slept little Thalia.

Henry stared at the three bats for a while, grinning widely. Had he actually gotten Thanatos to socialize? Or had it been Nike who had done that? He immediately raised the camera and got a good shot of the three. Now that was something to keep. And use.

In the morning, the stingers helped them work out their next move. The rats would have the mouth of the tunnel blocked, just in case any of them would have survived. But the stingers knew the area far better than the rats.

The best idea seemed to be to follow a series of tunnels deeper into the Firelands. Although it would mean a longer flight back to Regalia, they should have larger open spaces to fly in and less of a chance of being trapped by the rats. Luxa and Henry did not bring up their plan to pursue the mice, but exchanged a look, making it obvious that was still their primary objective.

Henry pondered on how he hadn’t found a clue from Teslas in a long time, and instead of worrying, tried to tell himself he must have simply gone another way, after Hades Hall.

“And they say be watchful of the currents”, said Hazard suddenly. Henry furrowed his brows. Why would that be a problem? He glanced at Thanatos but his bond was busy helping Thalia onto his back. He was gently talking to her, and the baby bat was looking at him with round, admiring eyes.

Meanwhile, Nike was sitting next to him, laughing at something, Henry hadn’t heard what.

“She has achieved what none of us others could”, Henry suddenly heard Ares behind him, “over what now is three- no, four journeys not one of us could persuade him to open up more. Seems like Nike has succeeded at last.”

Henry glanced back at him and grinned. “Took me long enough myself. I actually didn’t expect him to give in so quickly, then again, he can never resist kids. I’m pretty sure Thalia has been a big help.”

They assumed the same seating as the day before, Thanatos led the way with Thalia and Temp on his back, followed by Nike with Howard and Cartesian, Aurora with Gregor and Luxa, and Ares with Henry and their sole supply crate flew last.

They made good ground, soon the surfaces around them changed to the same shiny black stone that made up the walls around where Kismet had used to live. Henry thought he remembered Thanatos had mentioned it was made from cooled lava.

After maybe three or four hours of travel, they landed at a spring-fed pool for a break. Henry noticed the substance covered the floor too and had to tread carefully to retain balance.

“I’ll look if I can find some shells or other edible things further up the river”, he called and already moved away. In truth, he felt like he needed some time away from the group. Last night another nightmare had plagued him, and he had difficulties concealing it from everyone as it was.

Boots calling him out and the flight with Ares – he had been afraid his former bond might have recognized him by the way he rode, but apparently not. It had given him enough anxiety though. And then their careless shenanigans with the camera. Henry had, for a few sweet hours, been able to forget he was not... himself anymore. It had been so much like old times that he had had trouble snapping back out of it.

If only they could show the same affection they showed the Death Rider, to me – to Henry. The thought stung and the exiled prince wished Thanatos was here, he would have to talk about all of this soon. He knew very well that all of it, all their trust, their kind words – Luxa’s kind words – were not meant for him. They were for the heroic, mysterious outcast he played when he was around them.

Henry sighed. Here he was, he had tried so hard to reinvent himself, to become someone he could... like again. And now that he had succeeded, it wasn’t nearly as great as he had thought it would.

Deep in thought, Henry followed the river. He was so focused on himself that he would have almost fallen into the pit, hadn’t the sound of his own footsteps painted a sharp image in his mind. Instantly, he snapped out of his thoughts. He could hear Luxa and Howard calling after him and then someone else approached.

“I ice skate!” He could just about grab Boots before she fell into the pit, sliding on the slippery floor.

“Careful, you’ll –” For the first time, Henry focused his perception on the floor of the pit – and froze. His arm tightened around Boots and his other hand reached for Mys instinctively.

There was something – someone – down there. Henry focused and made out shallow breathing, but the creature lied still. It wasn’t attacking or even moving. Carefully he sat Boots down, ordering her to hold on to his leg.

Then Henry did something he hadn’t done in a while – he snapped his fingers. He usually didn’t need to, but the room around them was awfully quiet and he wanted a sharp and clear picture of what he was getting himself into before he ran into a trap.

But the picture the sound painted in his head was nothing short of confusing. He registered the flapping of wings above his head and soon, the bats had caught up, as had the questers.

Without further hesitation, Henry handed Boots to Gregor and slid down into the pit, closely followed by Thanatos. He disregarded the calls as to whether he needed light, instead, he focused on the shape before him.

“It can’t be...”, he heard his bond whisper next to him and froze in shock himself. A scrawny rat lay a few feet before him, panting for air. His front teeth were way overgrown, at least by a foot, and had locked together, spreading his mouth in a horrible grimace and distorting his face painfully. That must be why I had trouble determining his shape with echolocation, Henry thought. But he could still make out the scar on the agonized face, the screams of the party and the breaths of the rat himself were enough.

“Ripred”, he said, almost not believing his perception. The rat locked eyes with him but was unable to speak.

Henry fixated his gaze on him. Never had he expected to see the rat again, not like this. A million questions clustered his mind, but first and foremost, he was debating what to do with him.

Ripred groaned, but Henry had no idea what he was trying to convey. Suddenly, an image flashed in his head – Ripred, on the floor, much like now. Henry above him, only back then he had... Wait – was this... his chance? The one chance he would get to get even? Ripred barely ever needed saving, but now, here they were. The prince and the gnawer, once more Ripred’s life lied in Henry’s hands. Oh who was he kidding, he had long made up his mind.

Gregor had just scooted down, flashlight in hand, to see Henry draw Charos and raise it above his head. He fixated Ripred’s head with his boot, remembering how he had done a similar thing with Gorger, all those years ago, to cut off the tooth that had later become Mys.

Then the giant, black blade whizzed down.

With a single, clean swipe it tore through all four of Ripred’s overgrown teeth and he slumped forward on the ground, gasping. The uneven edges left by the blow cut into his gums, causing them to bleed, but his jaws were freed.

Consider us... even, Henry thought, consider the wrong I tried to do you, righted.

Ripred stared at him in the dim light and Henry thought he saw sympathy in his gaze, and something else. He was not able to say what, though.

“You can lie there all day, or you can get up and let Death carry you out”, he addressed the rat, sheathing Charos finally. Then he glanced at the remains of Ripred’s teeth. After short hesitation, he picked up the longest one. He’d make something nice out of it.

Thanatos glanced at him, knowingly, before Henry mounted up and his flier grabbed onto Ripred, carrying him out of the pit. Ares fetched Gregor.

“You save his life”, Thanatos mumbled, like he knew exactly what Henry’s motive had been.

“It’s what I owed him”, was all the exiled prince responded.

Ripred was in terrible condition. Howard needed to file down his teeth and Gregor made a paste from fish for him to eat. Boots expressed the wish to feed him, and Henry saw Gregor open his mouth to stop her when he grabbed his shoulder – “No, no, let her, please. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, you can not pass up a scene like this!”

Gregor threw him a somewhat disapproving glance, as the exiled prince had already readied the camera. Yes, he had rescued him, but nothing would stop Henry from seizing every opportunity to humiliate Ripred as he had him, back on the very first quest.

To his disdain, Howard grabbed the bowl from Boots before she could feed the rat. Oh well, a picture of Luxa’s cousin feeding him would have to suffice, then.

The entire time, Ripred was staring at Henry, like he could not believe he was here. “All right. I’m all right now”, he said, finally pushing away the bowl, with a few remaining bites of mash stuck to the bottom.

He started filing his own teeth with the rock and after he was satisfied, he glanced around for the first time. “So, what brings the Children’s Crusade into the Firelands? I don’t flatter myself you were looking for me.”

He paused, before glancing over at Henry. “And you... it truly is you – Death Rider. Someone changed quite a bit since I last saw you.” He gave a dry chuckle. “So, you are the babysitter? Or is it the other boy – who even are you?” He glanced at Howard.

Henry threw him a crooked smile. “He’s Howard. Luxa’s cousin. And yes – I am the babysitter. Somewhat. Besides”, he chuckled, “I’m not the only one who changed. One and a half years did you no good, future outcast-buddy, much worse than they did me.”

Ripred hissed. “How many times do I have to – wait”, he suddenly stopped, glaring at Howard. “Cousin? Really?”, Ripred chuckled. “Aren’t we kind of through with those?”

Howard breathed in, audibly offended, and Henry had a hard time keeping a straight face himself. Bitch, he thought, death-glaring Ripred.

Luxa cleared her throat. She diffused the situation by answering his other question, explaining what had happened, the nibblers, their mission, their oath.

“So you – and him, Your Majesty, tied by a vow to avenge the dead”, Ripred showed a toothy grin. “How very interesting. Oh well, it seems like only yesterday you were a baby bouncing on your grandpa’s knee. And now you’re starting wars. They grow up so fast.”

“And what would you have done?”, Luxa asked, gritting her teeth.

“Now I’m in an awkward position, Your Highness. Ordinarily, I’d have said I’d have hunted down the Bane myself and killed him, hopefully disabling the serpent by beheading it. Of course, as you’ve just rescued me from a pit where I was being slowly tortured to death on the Bane’s command... my advice seems to have less impact”, said Ripred.

Henry narrowed his eye. The Bane had overpowered him? When he asked, Ripred said he had been greatly outnumbered and eventually left in the pit. He had even been lucky, as his teeth had locked, as opposed to growing up through his brain. He did not look like he felt overly lucky though.

“Alright, I think we’ve all had about enough”, Henry called soon. He knew it was still in the air as to what to do with Ripred, but he decided they should sleep over that decision. The rat looked exhausted and the rest of them seemed like they could use a few hours of sleep too.

“We’ll continue this conversation tomorrow. For now, we shall rest here. Where it’s... well, semi-safe.”

Nobody really complained when he sent them to bed. Ripred was still throwing him glances though. “You too, you’re the one who needs it most”, Henry remarked.

“And what about you, great Death Rider?”, Ripred was not one for taking orders.

“I’ll pack the things away and then I’ll go to sleep too”, he answered. “Hey, Gregor, mind taking watch? You can wake Howard in a couple hours, but don’t wait too long. This is meant to be a short rest.” Gregor nodded, he and Ares sat at the river, kicking pebbles.

Henry sighed, glancing over at Ripred, then the bowl of fish-paste. He grabbed it and went to wash it. When he returned, the rat was already lying down, behind a rock, somewhat offside the camp.

“You were thinking about killing me, were you not?”

Henry groaned when he heard Ripred’s voice. “No, I wasn’t. Go to sleep.”

But the rat was in a chatty mood. “Oh? What was that look in your eye then, can you tell me? Were you thinking of killing me – or were you contemplating whether you were through with that?”

Henry froze in the middle of storing away the bowl. “W... what?”

Ripred grinned, lazily rolling over. “Oh, quit pretending, lad, I know very well you held my life in your hands before, in fact, I’ve known it for much longer than you think. Do you believe my nose is good for nothing?”, he chuckled, “Seems like, despite my best hopes, you still haven’t learned a single thing... Henry.”


	9. Secret

Gregor sat at the river, he had taken his sandals off and his feet were dangling into the water.

“Something is on your mind, is it not?”, Ares, who had lied down next to him, asked.

Gregor sighed. “I...”, he glanced over to where Luxa lied with Hazard, “I always think about what she promised, back down in the pit. That... that oath.” He looked at Ares, “She’s not going back, is she?”

His bat shook his head. “She has pledged vengeance, she and the Death Rider.”

Gregor’s eyes searched for him in the dim light of the river, there he was, only a few steps away, washing out Ripred’s plate.

“They might as well team up and follow the mice together”, Gregor groaned. “I bet she’ll end up sending us others away to... to...”

“To follow them, together with the Death Rider.” Ares pondered, “She might. Though, as great as her love for the nibblers is, her love for Hazard is greater.”

Gregor sighed. “Hopefully. I... I mean I get why she did it, but... is war really what we need right now?” Gregor pondered on her words from earlier, how she had claimed it was unavoidable anyway. Was she right?

He had just opened his mouth to ask Ares, when the outcast, apparently done washing the plate, interrupted them. “Gregor you’re supposed to keep watch, not chat the night away. Ares needs rest if we are to continue tomorrow. Remember, he carries you, not the other way around.”

“Him... or you”, Ares remarked and his bond grinned. The Death Rider gave something of a pained sigh.

“Alright, alright, you’re right, as always...”, Gregor gave in, throwing Ares a glance. “He is right. You should go to sleep.”

His bat nodded. “I’ll be alright.”

He moved away to lie next to a bigger stone and curled up there, to not wake already sleeping Aurora and Nike.

Gregor remained at the lake, though he soon felt as though he should stand up and walk for a while, as opposed to sitting. Ever since the incident on the waterway, he was paranoid to fall asleep during watch, so he often spent it pacing around.

“You were thinking about killing me, were you not?”

Gregor froze in his tracks. He was just about to circle around the rock Ares was lying at and heard Ripred’s voice. Who was he talking to...?

“No, I wasn’t. Go to sleep.”

That sounded like the Death Rider. Gregor just stood there, frozen solid. He didn’t want to eavesdrop, but what was Ripred talking about? He was fairly certain the outcast would never do anything of the sort.

“Oh? What was that look in your eye then, can you tell me?” That was the rat again. “Were you thinking of killing me – or were you contemplating whether you were through with that?”

Gregor unintentionally pressed himself against the rock. What was going on? When had he...

Apparently, the Death Rider was just as surprised. He gave a shocked “W... what?” Gregor couldn’t see them behind the rock, but he heard something like... nervousness in the outcast’s voice now. He furrowed his brows.

“Oh, quit pretending, lad, I know very well you held my life in your hands before, in fact, I’ve known it for much longer than you think. Do you believe my nose is good for nothing?”, Ripred chuckled and Gregor realized he was holding his breath. His mind was reeling, trying to keep up with what the rat was saying.

“Seems like, despite my best hopes, you still haven’t learned a single thing... Henry.”

Crash.

Gregor only registered the sound of what he presumed was the plate, smashing on the floor, on the side. What had Ripred just...?

“Oh, I was wondering if that plate would survive this conversation.” There was mocking in Ripred’s voice now.

“I... what...?” The Death Rider’s voice sounded mortified. He was stuttering. “You... did you just...?”

“Hmm... okay, let’s cut all of this stammering short, shall we?” Ripred sounded relaxed. “Did I just call you by name? Of course, I did, how long have I known it was you? Since...”

“You’ve known all along”, the rat was interrupted. The outcast’s voice sounded numb. “Since the jungle. Have you not?”

Ripred chuckled. “Oh, so you aren’t that stupid after all. Of course, I knew. As I said – my nose still functions as well as ever, and did you, in all honesty, think I forgot... YOUR smell?”

There was a long pause. Gregor realized he was pressing his cheek against the stone. What was even going on? He tried to recall Ripred’s words. The rat had... had called him out, the outcast, he had called him...

“You knew.” The Death Rider spoke again, “You knew, but why did you not...”

“... tell on you?” Ripred chuckled. “Oh, I wanted to. At first. You know, there I was, in the jungle, minding my business – and then – a smell! A smell I thought I’d be done with for good, but no...” He sighed, “No, no – my nose was not deceiving me, there you were, sitting, happily chatting with the others, how do you call them – questers? Seems about right. But you know what the funny thing was?”

Gregor heard him shift, like he’d stood up, “the funny thing was – it wasn’t Henry, the traitor prince of Regalia, who sat there, among the ones he had once called friends – no. You...”, he chuckled, “you were someone entirely different.”

Gregor heard everything the rat was saying like through a cloud of mist. The Death Rider spoke again – “I... I still don’t get why you...”

But Ripred interrupted him. “Then let me finish! Okay, first of all, I saw you there, I saw they did not recognize you and – hmmm... I got curious. I guess. For what you would do, if I... did NOT give you away. So I decided to wait.”

Gregor heard the rat yawn. “And wait, I did... and you... you – how did I phrase it back then? Oh, right – you kept the surprises coming. New bond, new look, new name, new weapons – new life. New...” Ripred paused for a second, “... new Henry.”

Then it clicked. The name hit Gregor like a bucket of cold water to the face. ... Henry? His head started spinning, hadn’t he held on to the stone he would have surely fallen.

Henry. Henry?

Gregor saw Boots, tugging at his hair. _You make me fly!_ He saw the way he had looked at Luxa, their hands intertwined, over their shared insignia. He saw them, side by side, by the fire. Chanting at him to do the Hokey Pokey. He saw him... throw her into the air for the photo. Gregor saw him... he saw Henry.

The outcast... no... Henry... Henry scoffed. “You kept my secret... out of boredom?”, Ripred laughed, “Be glad I kept it at all. But, you know – there was something else too.”

“And what?”, his... Henry’s voice sounded resigned.

“And what?”, Ripred imitated him, “Oh, I don’t know, it’s just... you have to understand, I thought you had died – we all thought you had. But you were living all this time – save that eye, maybe”, he giggled, “in any case, lad, and that’s a fact – exile either breaks you or makes you. I was all but surprised you – YOU – had turned out one of the latter.”

There was a short silence, before the outcast... Henry... continued. “You... you were IMPRESSED with me? Really? Ohh... I’ll note that down in my list of greatest achievements instantly!” He chuckled, though Gregor still heard that nervous undertone.

But no. Now that he had just the voice, now that he focused – he could clearly hear it. That voice, he had heard it before.

_ I have no plans to die. _

“Uh-uh, okay, but... before you do that”, Ripred yawned again, “you might want to check on that eavesdropper behind the stone.”

Gregor’s heart skipped a beat. 

“What?!” The tone in Henry’s voice was nothing short of horrified. But before Gregor could jerk away, someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out from behind the stone. He was lifted off the ground and stared into a face – a face...

He was older. Much older, was Gregor to guess, he would have said more than... what, eighteen? Numerous scars painted jagged lines across his skin, his hair was much longer and... of course, the eyepatch. But now that he had the image of Henry’s face fresh in mind – Henry with Boots, back in the bat’s land, Henry with Luxa, with the torch on his head, Henry, who had... had jokingly warned him Luxa planned to poison him.

Gregor’s eyes were round with shock. Not because of what Ripred had said or what he had responded, no. Because he didn’t need words anymore. He saw it for himself now.

He... Henry... turned back to Ripred. “You knew he was there. You knew all along and you didn’t say anything until...” Gregor felt the hand that still held him shake. “You... I will actually kill you, Ripred, I’ll actually go and kill you, and this time I WILL succeed, we both know that!”

Henry let go of Gregor and positioned himself before Ripred. “You...” He took a deep breath before all the aggression faded from his body and Gregor saw he almost collapsed on the floor. “You... you ruined everything. I...”, his breaths were shaky, “I have to go! Now! Before... Oh goodness, I... that’s it! It’s all over, I...”

He threw his hands in the air, glancing back at Gregor, and the look in his eye was so desperate Gregor bit his lip in a wave of sympathy.

He buried his face in his hands. “It’s over. This... this is exactly why I didn’t want to babysit you all again, and now, now I have to leave, and never return, because, of course, as soon as Luxa finds out, she will flip, and then Ares and Howard and... SHIT!”

He spun around on his heel, burying his hand in his already disheveled hair. But before he could leave, Ripred’s tail whizzed at him. Gregor thought he would surely swipe Henry off his feet, but no...

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, the outcast ducked in the exact moment the tail would have hit him and spun around again. “Do you want to fight me?” His voice was agitated. “I’ll fight you if that’s what you want. Because...”, but Ripred interrupted him.

Gregor thought he saw him raise a symbolic eyebrow in something like... almost like... respect. “Maybe another time...”, he grinned, “for now, before we rush anything, especially departures, how about the boy over there first confirms he’s actually going to TELL on you.”

Henry spun around to Gregor and he froze and swallowed, having all eyes on him. He glanced from Ripred to Henry and back, blinked a few times, and tried to come to terms with how... how much they actually reminded him of each other now.

“I...”, Gregor started, but Henry was impatient. “Why are we waiting? What even is there to wait for? OF COURSE, he will tell! He’s as much into Luxa as Nike is into Thanatos, there is no way he’ll keep a secret from her! No less a secret like this!”

Ripred broke into a laughing fit and Gregor felt the heat rise to his cheeks. “What... what are you talking about?” INTO Luxa? What did he mean – INTO her? Gregor knew he liked her... as a friend, but beyond that...?

“You...” He took a deep breath and held Henry’s gaze. “Henry?”

Gregor was barely able to say the name. A hundred questions swirled in his mind. The last time he had seen Henry had been two years ago, he had been falling off a cliff, screaming for Ares...

The Death Rider sighed. “Me... Henry.” He bit his lip. “But... but seriously, do I look THAT different? Really? I guess it would be hard to believe, but... come on!”

Gregor looked up. “What do you mean?”

“He obviously means it would be hard to believe a traitor like him could be the heroic Death Rider!” Henry slapped at Ripred’s face with the back of his hand for that. The rat barely dodged. “Shut your trap, Ripred, you caused enough harm for the day.”

Henry’s gaze darted back to Gregor. He looked not at Ripred when he dodged his counterattack, the tail, once more – “Can we do this another day?”

He cleared his throat. But before Henry could speak, Gregor did. “I... I will not give you away.”

Wait... what? What was he saying? Henry’s face looked as baffled as Gregor felt about his own words. “I... you swore an oath. An oath to avenge the mice. With Luxa.” He swallowed. “And she... we... could use an ally like you, like the Death Rider, if there really is going to be war. And if I tell her...”, he took a deep breath, “if I tell her, you can not fulfill your oath. The mice might die, like the ones in the pit.”

Gregor finally met Henry’s gaze, only now realizing what he had just said. “I don’t think I have the right to... to rob you of this, not after all you have done for us.”

Henry stared at him in utter disbelief. “Why... why wouldn’t you? You have no reason to do me a favor, not even to sympathize with me. For all you know I’m the traitor who almost got you killed, two years ago. All of you.”

Gregor swallowed, tried to come to terms with his own words. He remembered Henry, Henry the traitor, but also Henry, as Luxa wanted to remember him. His conversation with her about her cousin came to mind, he... wait.

“Wait! You... you are Henry! You... you heard me and Luxa when we... back at the lake!” He saw the Death Rider’s face when he had told them to go to sleep. “You heard us...”

Henry sighed. “So what?”

“I mean... I mean, I said, back then, that I didn’t know Henry... you, very well. I had never gotten the chance to... get to know him – you.” Gregor thought about his next words carefully. Yes, he knew Henry was a traitor, but then again, he had never really known that Henry.

“Actually... I have all the reasons to do you a favor.” Gregor took a deep breath, “Because... because the only Henry I know, the only Henry I ever actually got to know... is you. Is the... Death Rider.”

Gregor was staring over to where the Death... to where Henry was sitting. Henry. The Death Rider. Something inside his brain still hadn’t entirely comprehended they were on and the same person.

“I can... I can not believe I have not... not seen it...” Ares had been right there. Gregor had almost stumbled over him after Henry had told him to go back to his watch. Not without shooting him a couple unreadable glances though. Of course, he had heard it all. Bats had better ears than humans, but even a human would have heard, from that distance. He thought Henry was lucky the rest of the party was long asleep.

Gregor sighed. He would have to tell Henry that Ares knew... tomorrow. “I... I keep staring at him but I don’t think I fully believe it yet myself. Even if it... it actually is him. I mean, I can see it. Now I can. But still...”, Gregor shook his head and forcefully avoided his gaze.

Ares was quiet. Gregor looked over to him and realized his bond had lowered his gaze. “You okay?” The moment Gregor asked the question he knew the answer. “Uhm, I mean... I’m sorry, I...”

Ares chuckled. “What are you sorry for? That he lives?”

Gregor bit his lip. “Of course not! I... I’m just... are you happy?”, he suddenly asked, “that he’s alive?”

Ares averted his gaze. “I... I never wished death on Henry. I just...” Gregor suddenly realized this reveal must have opened old wounds. “Hey, I know you didn’t. And I’m sure he’s not... mad at you or anything. I mean, he rode with you, didn’t he?”

Ares sighed. “All I feel is... confusion. Confusion and anger at myself for not seeing, then again... He is not really Henry.”

Gregor furrowed his brows. “What?”

“Not the Henry I knew”, his bond shifted a little, “far from the Henry I knew. Then again, maybe not that far.”

Somehow Gregor thought Ares had managed to summarize his own thoughts almost perfectly. Gregor had, even before, compared the Death Rider to Henry. They shared similarities – their over-the-top humor, their recklessness, their cockiness, their attitude, their confidence – yes, all of those he remembered from Henry, back when he had still been... just Henry. Not this... this great outcast warrior, who had saved them many times, who had sacrificed his eye for Luxa, who had led them through the Vineyard, who had killed Longclaw and saved Stellovet, who had... had taken over chores willingly, who had guided and protected them.

Who had saved Gregor’s own life, over the waterway.

“I mean... he’s lived out here for... what, two years, now. I’m sure it changed him.” Gregor thought of Ripred’s words – _Exile either makes you or breaks you._ “Maybe...”, he gazed back at Henry, who had now walked over to Thanatos and collapsed by his side, he looked completely worn out and beaten down. “Maybe he... needed this.”

Gregor felt bad for essentially having said someone – anyone – deserved suffering like Henry had probably experienced, then again, it seemed to have indeed... “made” him, like Ripred had claimed.

Ares shook his head. “My eyes see it is his face now, but my head refuses to believe it is him. But Gregor...”, he turned to his bond, “why did you so thoughtlessly promise to keep this from the others?”

Gregor turned to Ares. “I...”, he sighed, “I shouldn’t have. Probably. But it is as you said”, his gaze darted back over to Henry, who was now lying against Thanatos, Gregor thought he saw them talk. “I look at him, I know it is him, but... all I see is the Death Rider.” Gregor sighed. “I can not... not see him any differently, you know? From how I saw him an hour ago. I think my brain just hasn’t registered it entirely. Then again... Do we really have any reason to change our view on him?”

Ares’ head turned in his direction. “I...”, Gregor saw his bat was as frustrated and lost as he was. “I do not know. I think we should – we can not simply forget what he did, but... but then again, should we?”

Gregor groaned. “God I wish I would have never listened in on that stupid conversation!”

It was maybe half an hour later. Gregor and Ares had talked for a while longer, he was sitting with his back to the group now, staring into the river. The last he had seen of Henry, before he had turned away, was him, leaning on Thanatos, lying down.

Gregor felt Ares’ head jolt up before he heard the flapping of wings. He twirled around and, to his surprise, stared directly into the almost glowing white face of Thanatos.

He was still wearing the saddle and when Gregor’s gaze darted over to where he and Henry had lain, he only saw the outcast, curled up in a ball against a rock. Gregor couldn’t make out his face.

“So”, the bat looked back and forth between Gregor and Ares, “you BOTH know then.” The two exchanged a look. Gregor nodded.

Thanatos sighed audibly and glared at them from his amber eyes. “Alright. Alright... dammit, why did this have to... OKAY”, he hissed, “FOR THE RECORD – I was never here, got it?”

He glanced back at Henry, then at Gregor and Ares again. “If he asks, if ANYONE asks, I was never here. If you claim otherwise, I’ll claw your eyes out.”

Gregor stared at him, unsure what the bat with the white face was talking about. Ares sighed. “We are not like Ripred, we will not go gloating to your loved ones about how you care for them. Even if it is... a little ridiculous if you ask me.”

Thanatos hissed. “I did not ASK you, though!” He took a deep breath. “But that is not why I am here. I am here to – warn you.” His eyes narrowed, “You know our – his – secret now. And you promised to keep it”, his gaze darted to Gregor, “and I will make sure you keep that promise, you hear?”

Gregor widened his eyes. “I... I’m not planning to break...”, but Thanatos interrupted him – “Oh you better not. Because if I find out you did – did or said ANYTHING that endangers us – him, it will be the last thing you’ll ever do. That is what I promise.”

Gregor stared at the outcast bat. He was spreading his wings to seem intimidating, and it did work, to an extent. His gaze darted back over to Henry and suddenly he realized just how much Thanatos must care for him that he was... here now. Doing this.

He took a deep breath. “I won’t. I won’t tell. We won’t.” He felt Ares’ approving growl beside him.

“Good”, Thanatos lowered his wings a little and suddenly the hostility in his gaze dropped and he looked tired. “I will not allow him to suffer because of this, not anymore. No more suffering. I will... not allow it.”

Ares beside Gregor suddenly shifted. “You... you care much more for him than you let on, do you not?”

Thanatos hissed. “I – I do not need to answer that!” And he indeed didn’t. The concerned look in his eyes spoke for itself.

Ares closed his eyes. “I... I do not know if I have the right to say this, if you or he even want to hear, but... but I am glad he found someone who can care for him, despite – or maybe for – what and how he is.”

Thanatos glanced at him. “No, I think he’ll actually be glad to hear that. And you know why?” His gaze darted between Gregor and Ares, “because he said the same thing about you, back on the waterway.”

Ares’ head jolted up. “He is not... he does not harbor animosity towards me?” Thanatos shook his head and chuckled a little. “No, not even in the slightest. When he learned you had the plague he was deeply shaken. You know what he said? He said he regretted never having gotten the chance to talk things out with you.” Thanatos raised his glance, “he says there is no animosity... he says that you are even.”

Gregor and Ares were silent at that. Even? The more Gregor thought about it, the more sense the word actually made. Henry had betrayed Ares. Ares had let Henry fall. They... they were even.

“Has he...”, his bond suddenly spoke up again, “you said you would not let him suffer more. Has he suffered... so much?”

Thanatos, surprisingly, lowered his gaze. “You have not even the slightest idea.” There was suddenly a slightly angry tone in his voice, “He made a mistake, a grave one, but – for all he’s been through he deserved not even half of it.”

Gregor thought back to the look in his eye, that darkness that had clouded them, ever since they had met again at the Fount. Something must have happened in that time, something horrible.

He looked at Henry and suddenly couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The way he lied there, legs pulled to his chest, face pressed to the floor, he looked... so defeated and desperate, so much younger, suddenly. Gregor bit his lip – an then and there decided to talk to him. Ask him what had happened, all of it.

He suddenly remembered their quest to save Stellovet and – Dalia. Henry’s reaction to her. It... it made so much sense now. Why he had been so... mortified by it. He watched her do the same thing he did, Gregor thought and sighed.

Then he remembered Henry’s words back then. _Everyone has a reason._ Gregor decided, as soon as he got the chance, he would ask Henry’s.

“Alright, eat up, you all – especially you, Ripred. We need to get a move on soon.” Gregor heard Henry clap his hands as if to motivate them. He bit his lip and thought about how normal everything was this morning. Like last night had not happened at all.

Yes, both Henry and Thanatos had thrown Gregor and Ares a couple uncertain glances, but other than that they had at least pretended everything was normal. Well, how could they not? They were trying to keep his cover up, after all.

Ripred groaned. “Move? Move? Where do I have to MOVE?”

Luxa looked up suddenly. “Did you not say something about only guiding us through Hades Hall, Death Rider? About following the nibblers?”

Henry stopped in his tracks. “I...”, he exchanged a glance with Thanatos, “I mean, the direction is the same, for now.”

He wants to stay, Gregor realized. He is probably enjoying this far more than any of us knows. “Hey, Luxa, shouldn’t we be grateful he is not leaving? It’s not like we can’t use his help.”

Luxa looked at him. “I... I am not... complaining. I was... I was just asking a question.”

“A valid question, actually”, Howard spoke as he eyed Henry. The outcast rolled his eye. “I... I will come with you for as long as I have no better lead. And...”, his head suddenly jolted in Ripred’s direction, “and as long as I get some help in babysitting. Because it’s slowly but surely tiring me out. Ripred – what do you say, outcast-buddy, want to come and help? It’ll be fun, I am sure!”

Gregor saw Henry in the Death Rider’s grin, clearer than ever. Has he forgotten his worries, Gregor thought, or is he covering them up with confidence?

Ripred scoffed. “Ah, first of all, I am NOT your “outcast-buddy”. How many times do I have to say that?”

Henry’s grin just widened. He now stood before Ripred, his posture was challenging, his hands to his hips. “No. No, I remember exactly what you said. You said, one and a half years ago, that we would make a bet.”

Everyone was staring at the outcasts in eager anticipation and curiosity now. Even Howard.

Ripred inhaled, glancing up at Henry. “Oh? And you think you’ve won that bet, lad?”

Gregor was seriously beginning to ask himself how nobody recognized Henry by his wide trademark-grin. “I did. I most certainly did.” He took a deep breath before he began counting on his fingers. “I did search out Kismet – check. I studied under her, for almost seven months even – check. I learned to, what you referred to as, “fight like no human has ever fought before” – check. And here I am –”

He suddenly started fumbling around at his gauntlet, before taking it off and tossing it at Ripred’s feet. “Here I am, challenging you to a rematch. Duel. Whatever!”

The entire party was speechless. Gregor asked himself if Henry even knew what he was doing, a glance at Thanatos’ face told him the bat was thinking that too. Even though Gregor also saw trace amounts of pride in his expression.

Maybe half a minute passed before Ripred finally inhaled and slowly picked up the gauntlet. “Hmm... so you actually did... get her to...”

In the brink of a second, faster than anyone could have been able to dodge under normal circumstances, he flung his tail at Henry’s head – his right side, his blind side. But Henry was... prepared. It was like he had... sensed it coming, Gregor thought, when the outcast raised his hand and caught the tail. In the next second, he grabbed it with both hands firmly and twisted it. Ripred shrieked in pain and ripped his tail from Henry’s grip.

“You... you did learn... something, after all.” Gregor saw a new level of... almost something like respect, in Ripred’s eyes, that and pain. It must have really hurt, he thought.

“Oh, I learned a lot. But no matter – go ahead and underestimate me if you want. I will not back down from this challenge. I will prove to you that you no longer have the right to humiliate me – go ahead and do it with them, I don’t care, but not me!”

Ripred chuckled a little. “Did Kismet not tell you to refrain from thinking yourself invincible?”

Henry froze for a second and Gregor asked himself who this Kismet was they kept mentioning. Clearly, she was someone who had taught Henry... something, maybe what had helped him get over his perception-problem. But... who was she?

“Of course she did. But it will not stop me from proving to you that I am... that I am stronger than you gave me credit for.” Henry’s tone had a certain bitterness and Gregor thought he referred to back during the first quest when Ripred had teased him.

The rat chuckled. “Hmm... I can hardly say no to a challenge like this. It is on, lad, and you will not like how it ends. You may know how to fight now, most likely actually better than no human has ever fought, if you have indeed passed the second threshold, but you stand no chance against me.”

Henry smirked. “We’ll see.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the tension. “This is all entertaining and all, but, Ripred, you are joining us, in that case?”

All eyes darted over to Luxa who had spoken.

“Of course he is, how else are we supposed to have our duel? We can’t have it here, he will slip the moment he tries to attack!”, Henry chuckled.

Ripred growled. “This was all a trick to get me to help you babysit the kids, was it not? Ohh I will grind you to dust later. Later.”

He death-glared everyone in the room. “Join the quest...”, he grumbled, “Quest, schmest, pest – what are you even hoping to achieve with this... this QUEST? Hm?” His eyes were on Luxa now.

“Well, what do you think?”, she stared at him coldly, “lure the Regalian army here, of course. They will free the nibblers and I can – we can – fulfill our oath.”

Ripred sighed. “Oh... oh, Your Highness. Did you not hear the Bane speak? What do you think he doing out here, anyway?”

“We did hear him speak. He said he was driving the nibblers to a place from which there is no return”, Howard answered in her place and Ripred’s gaze darted to him. “And did he mention where that would be?”

“Somewhere outside of the Underland”, said Gregor uncertainly. “In the uncharted lands”, Luxa added. He saw she was clenching her fist.

“The nibblers could return from the uncharted lands.” Henry suddenly spoke. “I returned from the uncharted lands. It’s... it’s really not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.”

Ripred eyed him, his eyes were saying something along the lines of “now that is a story I’d be interested in”, but instead, he looked back at Luxa. “He is right. They would only have to retrace their steps.”

He paused for a second, glaring at them all. “My dears, there is only one place from which there is no return.” The rat waited while it sunk in.

“Death”, Luxa whispered.

“So it would seem.”


	10. Honor

Henry was riding with Thanatos this time. Thalia, after some toing and froing, had claimed she could fly on her own, if they weren’t going too fast, and he had had Ares carry Ripred, who was still in no shape to run. They would have to wait at least a day before they could have their duel, Henry thought. The rest of the seatings had stayed the same.

“You know, just this once I wanted to be wrong about something”, Thanatos’ voice was misted with worry. Henry bit his lip.

“I can’t believe the Bane actually strives to extinguish an entire species – and for essentially no reason either! I mean, it’s not like the nibblers even harmed him, they aren’t in his way, they haven’t insulted his honor, or made his life harder – it seems like he is just doing this... for... for absolutely no reason!”

Thanatos was quiet. Henry thought he was worried about their friends from the jungle and stroked his fur a little. “Hey, we’ll save them. I promise. We’ll do anything we can. They’re not dying, not on our watch.”

Thanatos made an unidentifiable but approving noise. “Cartesian... his story matches Cevian’s.”

Henry bit his lip. When Ripred had called out the Bane’s plans, the injured nibbler had had a moment of clarity and told them there had been a dispute at the Fount too. That the rats had offered to move them, that many had wanted to go – but many to fight either.

“Seems like both colonies went through similar things”, Henry pondered, “and both agreed, for whatever reason, to oblige.”

“Nibblers aren’t warriors, not usually”, Thanatos added, “They seek to avoid confrontations, that is why they have let the rats draw them into the jungle, and into the human territory.” He sighed. “Sometimes I wish they would... they would stand up for themselves more.”

“Cevian and Teslas wanted to fight too.” Henry fumbled with the straps of the saddle, “they wanted to fight, they did not trust the rats. Apparently, Cartesian didn’t either. So they weren’t all convinced.”

“I’m afraid as little as his view saved Cartesian, it will our friends.” Thanatos’ voice was grave, and Henry found he had no response to that.

“We should probably wait with the duel until you’re recovered, right?” Henry grinned at Ripred. They were all sitting around the torch again and had just eaten, after having flown for maybe three hours. Thalia wasn’t strong enough yet for more. The rat just grumbled.

During dinner, they had finally filled Ripred in on almost everything that had happened in between their last quest and now. He was decently impressed at Henry having killed Longclaw, or so the exiled prince thought. “The bastard needed to die a long time ago, and so did Tonguetwist. Good job, lad”, had been his only comment. 

“So, how is it, do you truly believe you can defeat him?”, Luxa suddenly asked and all eyes were on Henry. He grinned a little. “We’ll see about that. I might have the advantage of my opponent underestimating me.”

Ripred looked up. “Oh, why should I?”

“Because you laughed at my challenge!”, Henry responded and Ripred chuckled. “In all honesty, lad, you might have passed the second threshold, but that does not mean you can defeat ME!”

Henry bit his lip, he knew Ripred was right. His only hope was that the scarred gnawer would indeed underestimate him. He suddenly realized he could embarrass himself greatly here, but there was no going back now.

“Okay, you’ve mentioned it twice now – what “second threshold” are you talking about?” Luxa sounded curious. But before he could reply, Ripred raised his voice. “Ohh we are talking about something Gregor over there should be, well, sort of, familiar with. Or no, wait, actually, I take that back, he’s not familiar with it. He’s been failing at even the FIRST threshold for, what, one and a half years, now.”

Henry furrowed his brows and stared at Gregor. “You’ve been learning echolocation?” Then his mind went back to his and Ripred’s conversation in the jungle, “Oh right, I almost forgot. And... wait... really? One and a half years?” He looked back at Ripred, “You’ve been doing something wrong then, I passed the first threshold in more or less a month.”

“Echolocation?” The Overlander’s voice sounded unbelieving as he stared at Henry, “you use... echolocation? To fight? Wait, is that why... how you solved your perception problem?” Everyone was staring at him now, even Howard, the bats, and Temp, and Henry sighed. Seemed like it was finally time for this story.

“You see, Death over there forced me out of bed an hour early for a month until I learned the basics. But basics aren’t really appliable in battle. Not when your target is moving. Basics, or the first threshold, how Kismet calls it, can help you envision stationary objects. You make a noise, it bounces off things, you can see them.”

Gregor listened to Henry explain, barely believing echolocation was really supposed to be so powerful.

“But that’s not going to help you if you’re attacked and you have no light. Or... if you lose an eye and you can’t judge distance or depth anymore. So, I asked Ripred, back in the jungle, if he had some sort of solution for me, and he sent me to... someone who could help me learn to utilize echolocation on a level beyond that.”

“Was that this “Kismet” you keep mentioning?” Luxa was eagerly listening now and Henry nodded. “She’s an... old friend... of Ripred’s.” He threw the rat an almost knowing gaze. “And she’s... she’s who I have to thank for overcoming that problem. You see, there are multiple levels of echolocation.” Henry took a seat finally, while before he had been pacing, “It’s kind of hard to explain, but... on level one you make sounds which bounce off of things, on level two... you don’t have to do that anymore.”

He had apparently noticed Gregor’s confused look. “Okay, you see, echolocation can be achieved with any sound. Not just the ones you make yourself. For level two you... you essentially learn to use any sound your environment makes. It’s like... like... you don’t have to snap your fingers, or whatever you do, anymore, instead, you have the sounds of your environment bounce off everything.”

Gregor frowned, some of that sounded plausible, but he thought it couldn’t be that easy. Henry continued, noticing his glance, “It’s... actually, Kismet once found the perfect description for it, so I’ll quote – it’s like you learn to... see sounds.”

“You... you can SEE sounds?” Howard sounded unbelieving, and Gregor thought that expression made it sound even more confusing.

“Well, yes. Sort of. I... okay, I didn’t entirely understand it either before I passed it, but yes, that is the best way to describe it. Like, take this, in battle, my opponent is approaching, readying himself for attack. But the sounds he makes while doing so, his steps, his breaths, the crunching of sand beneath his feet, tell me exactly what he’s going to do.” Gregor listened unbelievingly, that sounded almost too good to be true.

“It takes away the need for light almost entirely, but if I do have light, it’s even better. In combination with eyesight, it turns into something like an inbuilt analyzer of your surroundings. Like –”, Henry took out Mys suddenly, squinted his eye at the wall behind them which was maybe twenty feet away, aimed and threw the dagger.

All gazes darted over to the wall. Mys had fallen the floor, but when Henry went to pick it up and demonstrated it, Gregor saw he had pierced some sort of bug, maybe as big as the palm of his hand.

Luxa’s eyes were big and round. “You... you hit that from... over here?”

Henry grinned. “It is so much better than eyesight could ever be. You hear the sound, you analyze it, localize it, and hit it. It’s as simple as that. To be fair, it makes you really overpowered in battle.”

“Ohh, does it now?”, Ripred suddenly spoke up. Gregor couldn’t read his gaze but he thought the rat was at least mildly impressed.

Henry now stood before him, hands to his hips. “Ask the opponents I defeated in what must now be almost seventy victories in two arenas! Oh wait, you can’t – they are dead!”

Gregor furrowed his brows. Arena? Did he mean like the one they had saved Stellovet from? “You have battled in a gnawer arena...? And you live?” Luxa was staring at him, wide-eyed, and so was Howard.

“Battled in it? I celebrated almost seventy victories and not a single defeat!”, he exclaimed.

“Eh, didn’t you mean... you celebrated fifty of them, and WE the other twenty? Because I’m pretty sure during those battles in Splintleg’s arena I was there too”, Thanatos suddenly spoke up from where he was lying and Henry darted around to him. “Oh right, I... I sometimes forget that... that we are two separate people. You, me, we... isn’t it all the same, really?” Thanatos grumbled at first, but soon chuckled, somewhat contented.

“Oh, oh – YOU were one of Splintleg’s champions? Really? Hmm... his standards have sunken since I last saw him.” Ripred grinned suddenly.

Henry twirled around to him. “Well, I did – oh pardon – WE did kind of owe him as we killed his last champion, like, two years ago. Sizzleblood. You might have heard of her.”

Gregor thought he saw something like recognition flash in Ripred’s eyes but he stayed silent. “Hmmm... oh well, if you think you are that powerful, I want you to prove it.”

The rat suddenly stood up. “You said something about a... duel? Well, I’m in the mood for some fighting. Arse-kicking. Both, actually. You in?”

“I can not believe you guys are actually doing this”, Howard looked not pleased as he stood with Gregor and the others on top of a ledge, maybe five or so feet above the ground. The bats were hanging beside them, all except Thanatos, who was already down in the pit.

“Hey, Nike, will you let us start now?” Henry grinned at her, cowering next to Thanatos, they were talking silently. “Or should I give you guys some alone-time first?”

Thanatos managed to hit him with a wing, although Henry was already strapped to the saddle and Nike giggled. “I’m already gone!”, she exclaimed and fluttered up to hang with the other bats.

“I don’t want to hear a single word, you hear?” Thanatos sounded grim but Henry also made out a slightly nervous undertone in his voice. He grinned. “Oh come on, I think it’s cute, you two are –”

Then, another voice interrupted him. “You guys about done? We have not all day for this.”

Henry’s gaze darted over to Ripred who cowered close to the wall of the shallow pit they had chosen as arena. He gripped the handle of his sword, then of Mys, then reached for the boomerang and finally Charos. He had given it some thought as to what weapon to use and had decided to go with his normal sword for now, without setting it on fire. He’d see how that would go and, if necessary, adapt during the battle.

Henry checked the straps of the saddle one last time, then leaned over Thanatos’ neck. “You ready?” The flier growled approvingly and Henry grinned. “Let’s go.”

Both Ripred and Thanatos moved at the exact same time. The flier was in the air before the rat reached him and Henry drew his sword instantly, as he saw the gnawer leaping.

Thanatos immediately pulled in his wings and twisted around in the air to escape Ripred’s claws and Henry used the moment, in which the gnawer wasn’t sure where he was, to rotate until he was upside down – and strike.

To any other opponent, this attack would have been deadly but Ripred blocked the sword, even if in the last second. His tail whizzed at Henry from the opposite direction almost instantly and the exiled prince barely managed to pull the saddle up into an upright position to escape the blow.

He pressed his upper body against Thanatos to be as small as possible as his flier darted for Ripred. Again, they exchanged a couple attacks, performed more precisely than anyone else would have been able to, but none of them landed a hit.

Henry leaned forward, held his hand in front of Thanatos’ eye, and made the symbol for “coiler”. Let’s see how Ripred would like what had by now become their signature move.

But the gnawer hadn’t stayed idle while Henry and Thanatos had still been strategizing. As little time as it took for them to communicate through their sign language, it was enough for Ripred to attack.

Only by his echolocation, Henry perceived the gnawer leaping at them and barely rotated downward, striking at Ripred’s stomach. The rat blocked the sword with his tail and Henry nearly dropped it, so hard had the parry been. Then he felt a sharp pain jolt through his lower arm and realized Ripred’s claws must have landed. But he had no time to dwell on it as Thanatos initiated the coiler.

For a second, even Ripred was dazed by the black lightning bolt whizzing around him now, that was Thanatos. Not so much that he let Henry land a strike though, he blocked his sword, angrily hissing. Then the exiled prince had an idea. He threw the sword from right to left hand, rotated the saddle sideways, and drew Mys, all at the same time. Ripred was busy dodging Thanatos’ claws and Henry’s sword, which he now wielded with the left hand, to see the dagger coming.

The gnawer let out a screeching cry as Mys struck his shoulder, leaving a bloody gash. He immediately darted at Henry and the exiled prince had to cross both his blades to block him.

Thanatos moved away instantly and the rush of joy and adrenaline, Henry felt when he realized he had actually landed a hit, faded away only when the pain from his own injury seeped into his brain.

“You okay?”, Thanatos asked and Henry quickly shrugged, before putting the handle of Mys, for the lack of other options, between his teeth, taking out a cloth from one of his pockets and quickly tying it around the bleeding wound.

When he glanced down, he saw Ripred was inspecting the hit he had landed as well, almost unbelievingly. “He did underestimate us”, Thanatos sounded and Henry would have grinned, hadn’t it been for Mys between his teeth.

The gnawer gave them little time to patch themselves up though. He immediately attacked again and it became harder and harder for Henry to dodge or parry his almost unnaturally fast attacks. It’s like fighting Kismet, but much worse, he thought, after barely escaping Ripred’s tail with the use of the saddle.

More than once Henry had failed to dodge entirely and he was soon bleeding from several cuts, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. Once more he had hit Ripred himself, he had thrown the boomerang at the rat, and while Ripred had dodged that he had struck with the sword, tearing a gash in the rat’s back.

But it was crystal clear the gnawer was the superior fighter, and as foreseeable as that had been, it chipped Henry’s confidence more than he would have liked it to.

Anger and determination to prove himself soon fueled him and Henry found he became more aggressive with the minute. He wielded his sword with one, Mys with the other hand, and when Ripred repeatedly blocked one of his deadly precise attacks he suddenly felt something hit the strap of the saddle.

Henry instinctively rotated up and noticed Ripred’s confused face – had he attempted to cut the strings that held him in place? Henry grinned – “That’s not going to work! Ever since those giant mantises in the uncharted lands did that and we almost died, I reinforced them with metal! What do you think, that I don’t LEARN from my mistakes?”

Ripred growled and Thanatos turned around, ready for another strike, as was the gnawer. He had already assumed leaping position when something suddenly darted through in between them, hitting the wall behind. All three, Thanatos, Henry, and Ripred, were so thrown off that the rat and the flier almost crashed into each other, and Henry nearly dropped his weapons.

“THAT IS ABOUT ENOUGH!” Their heads all darted over to the figure of Howard, hands to his hips, who had apparently thrown a stone just now.

Henry blinked a few times and exchanged glances with Ripred. He was about to respond, but Howard didn’t let him. “Will you MORONS finally leave it be? We have seen and been impressed by your skills enough, I believe. And now, for goodness sake, let each other live, we might need you both in top-shape soon, you know, for ACTUAL battle. So stop this instant, before any of you end up SERIOUSLY HURTING EACH OTHER!”

Ripred looked about as annoyed as Henry felt – “Says WHO, BOY?”

But Howard held his gaze. “Says the one who will have to patch ALL THREE of you up after this ridiculous show is over.” With that, he turned around and almost strutted away.

Henry and Ripred exchanged another glance. The gnawer shrugged, before slouching back on the floor. “He’s the doctor, I guess.”

Gregor watched Howard, who had not seized lecturing the duelists for a single moment, finish up the last bandage on Ripred’s shoulder, maybe ten minutes later. The rat angrily hissed at him, the moment he was done. “Seriously, what even are you? Our mother?” He scoffed, “Didn’t think so, so stop ACTING like it at last, will you?”

“Oh Howard, leave them be”, Luxa sounded cheerful as she grabbed her cousin by the arm, “they are men. What were you expecting? Of course, they would hold this competition, of course, they would endanger themselves for it, and of course, it would only be for the sake of bloating their ego!”

Howard turned around to her, his glare was accusing. “I am a man, and I have no desire to do any of those things!”

She giggled. “Oh sure, but not THAT kind of man.” Everyone broke into laughter at that, the bats, and Temp. Gregor thought Luxa’s comment was unfair, as Howard was right. They did essentially endanger themselves, and that for no reason whatsoever.

But then he eyed Henry from the corner of his eye, saw the pride shine in his face, and only now realized how incredibly powerful he must have become, to even put up such a fight to Ripred. The rat had probably not fought to the best of his rager-abilities, but still.

Even Gregor was heavily impressed with what Henry had demonstrated today, and so was about everyone else. Most, like Luxa, did not even attempt to cover it up. Gregor realized he had never seen a human fight like he had, not with that speed and precision. He had truly become a force to be reckoned with.

Another ten minutes later, after Henry and Howard had prepared a meal, the group was sitting around the outcast’s torch, eating. “This battle is not over, lad, I hope you are aware”, Ripred snarled and Howard’s gaze jolted up, but Henry grinned. “Oh sure – because you want to lose so badly, am I right?”

Ripred growled. “Do not assume I wouldn’t have been able to kill you at any time during that fight.”

“You can not prove that!”, Henry called and Luxa chuckled. “I do not care if you won, you were incredible! Finally, one who can put up a fight to Ripred, it was about time!”

The rat shot her an accusing glare. Then he turned to Henry – “He has that saddle to thank for a lot of it, actually. Allows for fantastic dodge-work, makes you unpredictable and agile. Truly admirable... Maybe you guys should stop complaining about it and see the practical use. Your soldiers could greatly profit from something like that, Your Highness.”

Luxa sighed, but even she could not deny the saddle was more than handy in battle. Ripred chuckled. “The lad here has done more to improve himself in two years of exile than you humans have, collaterally, in decades. Maybe you should all think about what is so clearly going wrong here.”

Gregor saw Henry swell with pride even more. He sighed and was tempted to tell Ripred to stop, but the rat wasn’t finished yet. “And in all honesty, this much I have to admit, lad, you did put up a better fight than any non-rager has... well, ever.” He chuckled before turning towards the group. “Beware him, dears, he is by far the deadliest fighter your species produced in... possibly ever. Be glad he is on your side, almost as glad as you can be that I am.”

Henry’s grin widened even further at the compliment. “So – I can finally openly call you outcast-buddy, huh?” He nudged Ripred in the side who hissed. “I did not say that!”

But Henry laughed. “No, no, you did! You said if I battled and impressed you, I could call you outcast-buddy. And you essentially just admitted to that, so – no take-backs!”

All Ripred did was grumble and Gregor asked himself if all this skill was really that good for Henry. It had apparently gotten to his head instantly and made him even more of a loudmouth than he had been before.

Not long after, they had all finished eating. Howard had already stood up to collect their plates. Henry had joined, he started storing away the cooking utensils and the last of their supplies. Gregor watched as he tried to hold everything in one hand while opening his backpack with the other. When he almost dropped the plates he instinctively let go of the backpack and it fell to the floor.

Henry cursed as it spilled open and most of its contents fell out. Gregor crooked his head to see, he had to admit he was curious. There wasn’t much noteworthy, just a couple of cloths, a second water sack, there he saw a container, that looked like it would withstand much, a few bones and a rat-tooth. Was that the one he had cut off from Ripred?

But then there was... Gregor heard Luxa gasp and fixated his gaze on the last item. Huh? Since when did the Death Rider carry a second dagger? He hadn’t used it in the duel and Gregor had never seen it before.

Henry jolted around, almost dropping the plates again. Before he could set them down and pick up his things, Luxa had already reached them. Gregor saw her hand trembling as she reached for the dagger. “This... this...”

The wide grin, Henry had worn constantly, ever since the successful duel, faded instantly. Gregor saw the slight panic in his face when he carefully sat down the plates and walked over. “Oh that old thing?” He tried to sound nonchalant but Gregor heard some nervousness in his voice. “That I found in Longclaw’s camp, together with the crown. It was too nice to leave behind, but I have Mys, so... I keep it, but it is of little use to me.”

Gregor saw the look of unbelieving and shock in Luxa’s eyes as she unsheathed the blade – it shimmered golden.

“Hey, hold on”, Howard suddenly spoke up, taking a few steps in her direction to look at the dagger closer, “that’s... is that...?” He leaned forward to look and his eyes widened, “that is Henry’s dagger!”

Gregor saw Luxa biting her lip at the name, his gaze darted over to Henry who watched her, looking like he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and prevent her from ever finding it.

He paused for a second and Gregor thought he saw him throw a glance at Ripred before he asked – “Who is Henry?” Gregor had to keep it together not to roll his eyes. This could get awkward.

Luxa’s head jolted up and Ripred started coughing maniacally, Gregor thought he was trying to prevent a laughing fit. She looked like she wanted to answer but no words escaped her mouth. Gregor thought he saw Henry’s eye darken a little.

“Oh well, well, well, did nobody ever tell you?” Gregor shot Ripred, who had spoken, a glance. He seemed to be enjoying all of this way too much.

“You see how Howard’s Luxa’s cousin”, he started, “well, there was a different cousin once. A long time ago. Maybe something like two years. I don’t exactly remember.” Gregor had to suppress an eye-roll. “Well, that cousin was Henry. Long story short, he went on these guys’ very first quest, but uh-oh, plot twist, he’d been working with the rats all along! And naturally, Gorger, when he died, pulled him over the edge too, like the good little asshole he was. And that’s probably where Longclaw found his dagger – with Gorger’s corpse.”

Ripred’s little speech was followed by silence, Gregor saw offense in Henry’s face, as expected, but even Luxa looked like she disapproved of that description.

“That was a little... VERY short”, Henry spoke first, at last, eyeing the dagger Luxa was still holding. “So, it... belonged to your... cousin?”

Gregor couldn’t help but feel bad for him at this moment. Ripred was unnecessarily cruel as always and Luxa’s mortified face probably didn’t help either.

Gregor saw her clench her jaw. “It did.” She stretched the hand, that was holding the dagger, out to him. “Here. I’m sorry for touching it.”

If the pain in Henry’s eyes hadn’t been evident before, now it was. He took a deep breath before shoving Luxa’s hand with the blade back in her direction. “If it belonged to your... cousin, maybe... maybe you’d want to keep it?” His voice sounded almost pleading. “I mean, as I said, I have no use for it. It is yours.”

She opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t. Instead, she averted her eyes, holding it out to him again. “Me neither.”

“Hey, Luxa... why not?” Gregor couldn’t sit on the side any longer, not with how Henry looked now. He thought he had never seen him this... genuinely desperate. “It’s like the crown he gave back to you. It belongs to your family, not? And I mean, it’s a... ugh, a... a nice weapon too!”

Luxa’s gaze darted to him. “No, it’s not like the crown. It belongs to nobody anymore. You can keep it or throw it into the depths of the waterway, I do not care.” She turned away, but not fast enough for Gregor not to notice she did care.

Gregor sat next to sleeping Boots and watched Luxa as she paced up and down, in the dim light of a nearby river. The rest of the party was asleep, she was keeping watch. Gregor knew he should go to bed too, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from reeling.

Every now and then his gaze darted over to Henry, he lied curled up with Thanatos, across where the campfire had been. All the confidence and the pride from the duel had left him the moment Luxa had discovered and rejected his dagger. He had not even cared to put up guards, all he had said was, they should decide watch order among themselves, and gone to sleep.

Gregor suddenly realized he knew his identity, but almost nothing beyond that. Not what had happened to him, apart from what he had told them, not what had driven him to come back and help the questers again.

And then... he thought back to his and Ripred’s duel – not just the rat had underestimated him. They all had. Echolocation, Gregor thought, so it was actually... possible. In all honesty, he had long ago given up seriously trying because something in his mind just couldn’t believe it would ever lead anywhere. But now, here was Henry, and he had... learned it. More than Ripred was trying to teach Gregor, even.

Maybe I should ask him for advice someday, he pondered. Maybe he was right and Ripred is doing something wrong. Or maybe we both are. In any case, it can’t hurt to ask.

And then there was the question as to how the Prophecy of Gray fit into all of that. If Henry lived, their interpretation of it must be wrong. Maybe he could ask the outcast himself one day. Or Nerissa. Gregor was, by this point, almost entirely certain she knew everything.

His gaze darted back to Luxa, he remembered how she had rejected the dagger and almost... felt her animosity towards the memories it held. But he also saw the girl who had disclosed she liked remembering Henry for the good things too, back at the lake. He needed to know.

Determinately, Gregor stood up. He walked over to Luxa and she jumped a little when he tapped her shoulder. “Care for some company?”

“Shouldn’t you sleep, Gregor?”, she eyed him as they sat down together, close to the wall. Gregor sighed. “Can’t. There’s too much on my mind.”

He looked over to her in the dim light and suddenly the urge to tell her everything was almost unbearable. She deserves to know, he thought. She needs to...

“Gregor, what is the matter?” Her gaze was genuine and questioning.

Gregor swallowed. He couldn’t tell her. Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t find out, he thought. Maybe this way, he could save her from pain. Unnecessary pain. If she finds out Henry is alive, she will have to face all of the pain, his betrayal caused, again, he thought. Especially now, now that she seems to finally be, at least somewhat, over it.

The thought made him feel slightly less bad about his decision to keep this secret, it didn’t help much though.

“You... why did you not take the dagger?” It had been the first thing that had come to mind and in retrospect, Gregor was unsure as to whether it had been the smartest thing to ask.

Luxa averted her gaze. “I... I said why. I had no reason.” Her voice sounded cold, almost colder than Gregor had ever heard it.

“I remember a time when you said you wanted...”, he swallowed, “... you wanted to remember the good things.”

It was as if his words had slapped her in the face. Her head jerked up. “I... I...”

She looked so helpless, that moment, that Gregor wanted nothing more than to embrace her, but he restrained himself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bring this up. Look, I get that seeing it probably hurt, but... but maybe you should keep it. Keep something.”

He saw Luxa bite her lip. She looked away and clench her jaw while wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “Why should I?” She sounded resolute. “The past is the past, Gregor, I will not allow it to haunt me. Not anymore. I have other things to worry about. I am fourteen. In two years I will be queen. And now I have friends to avenge, an oath to keep, a war to fight. This is not the time to... to be sentimental.”

This time it was her words that hit Gregor like a bucket of cold water. Not least because the one she had pledged revenge with was the same person she did not want to get sentimental over.

He eyed her as well as he could, in the darkness. She sure had grown, and changed, since they had first met, almost exactly two years ago. Her hair had grown, she wore it in a little braid again, even if it only barely reached past her shoulders. Her crown shimmered golden in the dim light.

But not only she had grown – he had too. This fall I’ll be going to High School, he thought. It seemed almost unreal. With all this war, this peril, down here, with his friends... It was hard to even imagine. But his mother was almost entirely cured now. It had taken long enough, but she was alright now. And as soon as they got back to Regalia, she would...

A spear suddenly pierced Gregor’s heart at the thought of going home. He was surprised at the sensation, hadn’t he always dreamed of bringing his mother home again? But then he looked back at Luxa and suddenly realized... maybe taking the long way back wasn’t such a bad idea after all.


	11. Warnings

“Can you really speak rat too?” Henry had sensed Hazard at his side before the boy had spoken. With a smile, he turned his way – “Of course I can. You just witnessed it yourself!”

Hazard, who instantly scooted closer while chewing on his fish, stared at him with big, round eyes. His head was still bandaged and Henry saw a couple cuts covering his arms and face, but overall, he seemed to feel much better already.

They were in the middle of breakfast, and the exiled prince had overheard Ripred address the boy in rat. He had instantly decided he could not pass up an opportunity to impress the gnawer with another of his new skills and answered instead, dazzling both Ripred and Hazard.

“Oh, he can do anything now”, Henry heard the sarcastic voice of the rat at his other side, “we should not be surprised if it turns out he flies without his bat as well, for all that’s happened so far.”

Henry grinned somewhat pained and chose to ignore Ripred. “So who taught you?”, he asked Hazard instead. Luxa’s cousin smiled and nodded in Ripred’s direction. “He did!”

Now Henry finally spun around to the rat, blinking surprised – “He? I thought he was even more miserable with kids than with people?” He instantly had to dodge Ripred’s tail and the rat growled, “don’t think just because you put up a... decent fight to me, you have the right to be cocky now. I could still tear you to shreds if I wanted!”

To both their surprise, it was Hazard who answered – “Decent fight? He was amazing!” He was facing Henry now, “You ARE amazing! Luxa told me many stories about you, is it true that you actually rode a serpent? And that it bit your eye out? Did you and Thanatos really fly all the way across the waterway?” His green eyes were shining in excitement and Henry felt a wave of sympathy for the young boy hit him. He had never before properly talked to Hazard, and now he started to regret it. “Of course. All of those are true!”, he grinned.

“He also said he battled snappers and twisters the length of caves and even diggers!” The excited, high-pitched voice of Thalia sounded behind Henry now, and she sat down next to Hazard who instantly shared his fish with her. “Really?” The boy seemed even more excited. “Diggers? My father always said they were extinct!”

Henry laughed. Oh, how much he wanted to forget his worries and just sit here and tell Hazard and Thalia stories, but they had a mission. So he gave the boy a smile – “Oh, I know I am impressive, but I bet when you grow up, you’ll be just as great a warrior as me.” Henry readied himself to rise and round up the party when he suddenly saw Hazard’s smile fade. “Hm?” He turned his way again, concerned now. “What’s the matter?”

Thalia had, in the meantime, scurried over to Thanatos and Nike, who sat maybe ten feet away. Henry thought he had heard her say something about Thanatos wanting to show her something.

Hazard looked at the floor. “Luxa says I can’t be a warrior”, he finally spoke, fiddling around with his fish. “She says my father wanted me to not be a warrior. That he said that before he died. So I can’t.”

Henry froze. “What? Seriously?” His gaze darted over to Luxa, she was sitting with Gregor and their bonds, a little offside. He also saw Ripred with them now, he looked like he was pestering the Overlander about something.

Hazard nodded. “She will not let me train with arms”, he sighed. “She always says it’s what my father would have done.”

Henry’s first impulse, when he heard that, was to call Luxa and ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, but then he looked back at Hazard and hesitated. He finally thought his next words through carefully – “And... you? Were it up to you, would you want to be a warrior?”

Hazard raised his gaze, Henry thought he saw surprise in it. The boy hesitated for a second, then looked back down at his hands. “No. No, I don’t think I would. At least... I think so.” His eyes met Henry’s again, and he was surprised at how deep and sincere his gaze was. “But I always think, what if I change my mind someday? Do you think Luxa will be mad at me if I do? If I ever...”, he blinked a couple times, “ever... get into a fight, will she love me less? Will my father be mad at me, from wherever he is now?”

Henry clenched his jaw in frustration. “Hazard, no”, he kneeled down before the boy. I am not the best-suited person to have this conversation with him, he thought, and glanced over to Luxa again. “Nobody will love you less, or be mad at you.” At least I hope so, he thought. Maybe he should have a talk with Luxa soon, instead of the boy.

“But she says my father did not want me to fight!”, Hazard protested, and Henry sighed. “I know. But, as hard as this may be to understand for you, and certain other people”, once more his gaze met Luxa, “this is not a decision your father, Luxa, or anyone has the right to make. Only you can decide what you want to be. Not she, nor anyone, can take that freedom away from you. They try, because they think they know what’s good for you, but – IF you ever happen to change your mind, you will have every right to do so. And I am certain Luxa loves you enough to understand that.”

Hazard gave him a little smile. “You really think so?”, Henry grinned back, “Of course. You can be anything you want, please let nobody tell you otherwise.” The boy chuckled, “and you – you’re an outcast. Was that what you wanted to be?” Henry froze. “Uhm... no, Hazard... don’t take me as an example. You can be anything you want, just not an outcast. Please.”

They both laughed as Henry took his hand and led him over to Luxa and Gregor. He would need to talk to her about this at some point. How could she not allow Hazard to train with arms? What if he was attacked, and nobody was around to defend him? What was the point – did she not want him to be able to take care of himself?

He would grow up, he would be a teenager one day, he would act against the will of his supervisors, and Henry suddenly feared this kind of exclusion might drive him to do irresponsible things. He himself knew all about that, after all.

“She doesn’t have the right to do this.” Henry’s voice was bitter, as he and Thanatos led the group through a winding tunnel. They had taken off maybe ten minutes ago, not having to waste any time with rearranging seatings or anything comparable, and he had just filled his flier in on what Hazard had told him.

“Hmm... I agree”, Thanatos mumbled, “though... this seems to really bother you. Like, more than it should”, he continued. “I mean, I get how it’s wrong to try and force kids to become something they don’t want to be, but Hazard is fine with it, isn’t he?”

Henry groaned frustratedly. “It’s not about whether he wants to or not, it’s about him not even having a proper choice! Because Luxa and Hamnet – think they have the right to decide for him!” He sighed, “But yes, it’s... kind of personal. I... I was a prince, Death. I know all about having expectations placed on you. The kind that suffocates you until you start thinking of yourself as a failure because you don’t fulfill them. And by the time you realize what everyone expects of you is not what you yourself want, it’s far too late.”

They flew in silence for a while. “I never... never knew that”, Thanatos finally admitted, “I guess that is the only advantage of growing up with little family. Everyone kind of... leaves you be.”

Henry sighed. “Look, I love my family... but they suck sometimes. You know, this is actually one of my favorite things about exile. How there is nobody around to expect anything of you or force you into some sort of box. Except for you of course.” They laughed unanimously. “It was a new experience when I first became an outcast... and a fairly great one too.”

Thanatos chuckled. “I can imagine.” Henry sighed. “But when I heard Hazard talk like that, even now – for goodness sake, he is only nine years old! I was just...” Henry interrupted himself, trying to come up with the best way to say this. “I just –”

“DOWN!” The scream from somewhere behind them interrupted Henry and Thanatos immediately dove down, before landing in the middle of the tunnel. Ripred, who had screamed, from Ares’ back, slouched down, as soon as the black flier landed. “You might want to check that side tunnel”, he addressed the group, “You are looking for nibblers, are you not?”

Henry’s mind instantly went blank. Forgotten were Hazard and his problems – all he had heard was “nibblers”. He almost collided with Luxa in the entrance to the tunnel, she had followed Ripred’s call equally fast.

Together they hurried down the path, half-way in she turned one of Gregor’s lightsticks on, he must have lent it to her at some point. Henry didn’t need light though, he kept running down the tunnel until a dead end forced him to stop – and almost fall to his knees. He heard Luxa’s shocked gasp and only by the time the rest of the party, save Howard with Cartesian and Nike who had remained behind, had caught up, he had fully processed what he was staring at.

“That is so much blood...”, Luxa whispered, in horror, as she kneeled down. Thanatos, who had come up from behind Henry, carefully sniffed it. The exiled prince turned his way, sensing the answer to his unspoken question – was it Teslas? His bond nodded, his eyes darker than Henry had seen them in a long time. “Teslas. It is his blood.”

Henry bit his lip before sinking down next to Luxa. He carefully traced the rim of the small depression in the floor with his hand... it must have been covered in blood at some point. “How old?”, he asked Thanatos, his flier sighed. “Not old. A day at most. It dried out fast because of the warmth. There is most likely a volcano nearby.”

Only now Henry noticed his flier was right. It had gotten warmer than usual. He swallowed and glanced around the niche. What was this place? Had Teslas camped here? Had he been attacked?

“Can I... can I see that light?” Luxa gave it to him willingly. He saw her shoulders tremble lightly. Aurora was now cradling her from behind and Henry shone the light around in the niche. He saw the dried out blood, but when he looked closer, he also saw the walls were covered in scratch marks.

Then, the light beam hit a crack in the wall, on their right. It was very narrow, maybe two feet wide at best, but Henry saw the blood trail lead into. “He must have squeezed through this way, wherever it leads, we can not follow. Not with the fliers.”

“We must hope, as it seems to run parallel to the tunnel we traverse, to meet him up ahead.” Luxa’s tone was as grim as his own, and Henry threw her a grateful glance and nodded.

He carefully ran his fingers over the countless scratch marks, when he heard a gasp from behind – “T– there... The...” The moment Hazard had cried out, the light beam hit the wall directly across them, and... a scythe. A lump rose in Henry’s throat. There was something Teslas wanted to tell him, tell them, by leaving it, and it drove Henry crazy he still didn’t fully grasp the meaning.

“W... what happened here?”, he heard Gregor’s voice from behind, and turned to face the boy. “I don’t know.” He had trouble keeping his voice steady, “I really don’t... I... Teslas. He is my friend. This is his work, as are the other scythes, and the print in the Swag. He is trying to tell me something, to lead me...”

Frustration boiled up in the exiled prince, he drew Mys and angrily slashed at the wall with it. “GAHH!”, his call echoed from the walls, and the others almost simultaneously jolted back, “Why can’t I understand what he is trying to tell me? Where are you, Teslas, what are you... why won’t you just talk to me?”

He had sunken down on the floor again when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “You will ask him yourself. When we find him.” Luxa’s eyes were dark, so much darker than usual, even though her voice sounded optimistic.

Henry nodded. “We need to find him. We need to... find them. Fast. This is all too ominous. I just...” Henry couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t express his fear to find Teslas at the bottom of a cliff, like the mice from the Fount, or worse, in words.

“Let’s go then. Let’s find him. All of them.” Luxa still had a hand on his shoulder. All Henry wanted was to hug her, and never let her go again, but he couldn’t. “I... I should... leave something. Like you and Gregor left the scythe in the pit. To... to honor him.” Henry bit his lip.

“I think you already have”, Ripred sounded from behind, and the exiled prince spun around to him. Before he could ask, the rat had approached the wall and pointed at what had formerly been the scythe. Henry realized he must have hit the wall at exactly that spot when he had sliced at it with Mys. When he inspected it now, the scythe had a horizontal line cross through the vertical one that represented the handle.

He ran his fingers over it cautiously, admiring what now seemed like a new sort of symbol. “But what does it mean?”, he asked Ripred, “Is it another mark of secret?”

The rat shook his head and chuckled. “No, it’s never seen before. But that’s a good thing, you know? Because that way, you get to decide what it means yourself.”

“So, what do you want it to mean?”, Thanatos asked, only minutes after they had continued their flight. Henry and Luxa had hurried the others to press on, and nobody had disagreed.

“The crossed scythe?”, Henry pondered, “I... I don’t know. It should retain its original association with death for certain. Maybe it could mean something along the lines of the Vow to the Dead? Like, “whoever did this, will die”?” Thanatos growled approvingly. “Seems fitting. Though, maybe we could go beyond that. Maybe”, he paused for a second, “maybe, it could mean “whoever did this... will die by the hands of the Death Rider”.”

Henry tugged at the straps of the saddle that held his legs in place. He had strapped the saddle on preemptively, almost in nervous anticipation of a battle, and blinked a couple times. “The... wait, you mean like a personal mark? For us?” Thanatos hummed approvingly. “It’s a scythe, at least a variation of it. We are the Death Rider – the Grim Reaper. Seems fitting, don’t you think –”

That’s when the currents hit them.

The first blast of air caught Thanatos from below and tossed him upward, almost slamming Henry into the ceiling. Luckily, it abated before the impact and the exiled prince cried out in shock. They dropped down a few feet and the second blast hit them from behind. Thanatos’ wings shut as they shot like an arrow through several hundred yards of tunnel and finally out into wide-open space. Then the winds took over.

There was not ore or two but dozens of currents competing in the cavern. Henry realized he could see the individual airstreams. Each had a misty look to it, like concentrated streams of fog. The exiled prince tried to turn his head to check on the others, when a stream hit him from the side – and hadn’t he been firmly strapped on through the saddle, it would have torn him off Thanatos’ back for sure.

He was still pressed against his flier and suddenly realized Thanatos was trembling with exertion. Henry had to duck away when one of his ginormous black wings extended out sporadically, the wind caught it and caused Thanatos to roll around in the air like a frantic spinning top – with the exiled prince still strapped to his back.

Henry loved stunts – he relished them to his heart’s content – but from the way they were thrown around now, even he started to feel sick. His head was spinning, he knew not where up or down was, nor what had happened to the others.

From somewhere he thought he heard Ripred scream – “Stop fighting!”, but there was little Henry could do. His legs were fixated in place, he could only helplessly watch Thanatos being tossed around like a ragdoll. He finally wrapped his arms around his neck, screaming at the flier to stop trying to fight it, but either Thanatos did not hear – or could not oblige.

His wings had a span of almost seventeen feet and he could apparently not suppress the urge to extend them, which caused him to always catch several currents at once.

Henry frantically tugged at the saddle straps to loosen them and help Thanatos, when suddenly a blast catapulted them upward again. This time it did not release them in time – his head hit the ceiling with an awful thud. He felt a sharp pain jolt through his body and heard Thanatos cry out before everything went black.

Everything within Henry’s head was screaming with pain, the inside of his skull was buzzing louder than a hundred buzzer colonies. His world was still black, but he could now feel hands tugging at him from all sides.

Someone was fumbling around with the straps on his legs – were they still in the air? Henry had no idea. His head was spinning, he felt like he would throw up any moment. Then he felt he was lifted up, someone grabbed him from behind and dragged him off... off – Thanatos.

The name reinvigorated him and Henry jolted up, his eye opened and he cried out from the sudden brightness. He saw faces around him, but all of them were out of focus, like he was looking at them from below the surface of water. He heard muffled voices, one in particular, a face leaned over him, the person extended a hand to force his eye open and inspect it.

Henry felt his back hit a hard surface. Someone caught him before his head would follow. He meekly extended a hand towards whoever it was, trying to lift himself up.

“He hurt?”, the voice was tiny and Henry felt a small hand pat his arm. “There, there.” Then it disappeared, and another called – “Yes, yes he is hurt, and it’s for the best if we leave him alone, leave him to Howard. Howard is a doctor, an expert, you know?”

Now, a much clearer and more determined voice spoke, closer to his ear – “Hey, hey, easy there, it’s best if you remain –”, but before the person could finish speaking, Henry had already leaned over and thrown up. The other people around him jolted back, only the one he was clinging to had to remain in place. “Oh goodness, of course, fairly severe concussion, as suspected.” Henry gagged again but managed to keep the rest of his meal in.

“H... Howard?” Only now he realized he was clinging to the arm of Luxa’s cousin, who stared at him with a mix of disgust and worry. “Yes, can you hear me?”, he asked, and Henry nodded. “We... did we land yet?”

Howard nodded, and for the first time, Henry raised his gaze to look around. He was surrounded by the questers, all staring down at him, all visibly concerned. A little offside lied the bats, and Thanatos – where was – “DEATH?” Henry screamed, clinging to Howard’s arm tighter to lift himself up.

“He is alright, better than you, in fact”, Howard responded, and then Henry saw him. “Death!” With the last of his strength he scooted over to Thanatos, who lied only a few feet away, heavily panting from exhaustion. “Death...” Henry wrapped his arms around his neck as soon as he reached him, and Thanatos growled in something like relief. “You live...”

“Of course, buddy, I live... I...” Henry realized his vision started blurring again and he had to lean on Thanatos to keep himself up. “I...”

“Easy there, you have a bad – oh no...”, Howard interrupted himself and Henry suddenly realized something was dripping on his leg. When he looked down, he stared at the red liquid in confusion before realizing it was blood. He slowly extended his hand to the back of his head and when he held it in front of his face, it glistened red in the shine of Gregor’s lightstick.

“Come on now, you need to lie down and rest, and I will need to bandage that injury. You need to take off the eyepatch so that I can –”, but Henry interrupted Howard as he extended his hand to his eyepatch – “NO! No, leave the...” He didn’t want them to see him like this. His gaze met Luxa, she was cowering beside Howard now, who threw him an irritated glance.

“B... bandage the... the head without taking it...” Henry could just about formulate the words before his vision blurred again and he felt himself falling over. The last thing he noticed was how someone caught him, then he passed out again.

Henry flung his eye open. At first, he barely saw a difference in light, only when he turned his head he saw the distant glow of the currents. They were apparently in a side tunnel to where the winds did not reach.

Henry groaned and slowly tried to lift himself up, but as soon as he moved, his head stung like it had been pierced with a blade, so he fell back down, groaning in frustration.

Then he remembered something. His hand jerked up to the right side of his face and... bandages. His eyepatch was gone, in its place he felt silken bandages, some of them crusted with blood.

“A fine scar you got there, lad”, a voice suddenly sounded from the darkness to his left. “A scar like that, you know, builds character.” He jerked around and just about made out the shape of Ripred, cowering at the wall. “Shut up”, Henry squeezed out, squinting his eye in discomfort. Then he widened it again. Where was Thanatos?

He slapped his hand on the stone floor and tried to use the sound to get an impression of the room, but to his horror, the image was static and distorted, he could not see!

For the first time since Henry had passed the second threshold of echolocation he found himself almost utterly blind. But luckily Ripred guessed his intention – “The fliers are hanging, over there. It does not do the echolocation well, that concussion, I mean – does it?”

Now, knowing the direction, Henry just about made out the shapes of five hanging bats and fell back on the floor where he had been lying before, eternally relieved.

“Hey, you are awake! Howard asked me to wake you up in case you weren’t, he says it’s important for head injuries. Oh, and to bring you some water.” Henry spun around in the direction of the second voice, and, in the dim light, made out the shape of Gregor.

With the help of Ripred he managed to lift himself up and found his throat burning with thirst. He drank almost the entire water sack Gregor had brought, and after, simply sank against Ripred’s back, who had been cowering behind him, not having the strength to move a single inch more.

“HEY, the hell are you – get off me!” Henry ignored the hiss and closed his eyes. Ripred’s fur was surprisingly silky and comfortable. He heard the rat growl a bit more, before plopping down on the floor, resigned.

“Hey, Gregor!”, Henry called out to the boy, with the last of his strength, “How are the... the bats? How are you others?” Gregor turned back and, after a short moment of hesitation, sat down next to them and started to talk.

The group had managed to get the bats down one by one, all three – Gregor, Howard, and Luxa – had been necessary to get him and Thanatos down. Howard had proceeded to treat them all and sent them to sleep after. “He... he said you have a pretty bad concussion. But he also said the first day will be the worst. It’ll get better soon”, Gregor concluded, and Henry thought he saw him smile a little.

“Well, guess we can all be glad he is here then”, Henry mumbled, unable to make his voice not sound sarcastic. Gregor nodded. “Actually... we can be glad both of you are here.”

The exiled prince snorted. “Sure. Like you guys wouldn’t be fine without me. Howard – Howard’s a doctor, you all love him, he helps and he nurtured you all like he was your mother.” Henry bit his lip, “And me... Luxa would have me arrested and executed would she find out –” He didn’t bother to finish the sentence.

Henry had no idea where this wave of self-doubt had come from, but he suddenly felt unbearably useless, lying here, bleeding into his bandages – they didn’t need him. They did not even want him. Not... him. Not... Henry.

“Oh for goodness sake, would you stop with that self-pity, lad?” Before Gregor could answer, Ripred did. “You are more useful than most of this sorry entourage combined. So stop whining and get over it, will you?”

Gregor chuckled a little. “I mean... he is not wrong. I would have said it differently, but he is not wrong.” He took a deep breath, “I, for one, am glad you are here, with us.”

Henry blinked a few times, taken aback. “You... what? But you... you know who I am! You... how can you be...” His head was hurting, he didn’t bother finishing the sentence, he had not the mental capacity for it.

Gregor smiled. “Because... because you are the Death Rider... Henry. I... I’ll admit it took me a while to, well, get that into my head properly, but it is as it is. And you, you saved us. Many times.” He paused for a second, “Back on the waterway, after you had saved me and Twitchtip, I decided for myself that whoever you were – you were a good person. And I am sticking with that.”

Henry glanced at him, baffled. “You... I... thank you.” It was all he could muster up the strength to say.

“You deserve it”, Gregor simply replied. “Though I...”, he hesitated, “I have a few questions, I...” – “Oh for all our sake, would you shut up and let him sleep? He is injured!”, Ripred snarled, before mumbling “And I can’t sleep either with this chatter going on”, but Henry ignored him – “No, ask away. I can’t sleep now, not with how my skull feels like it’s being physically cracked open.”

Gregor gave him a thankful smile. “I...”, he glanced over at Ripred, “I don’t know if this is a good time, but... You know echolocation, right?”

Henry nodded. “Ripred told me he’s been trying to teach you too.” Gregor sighed. “That’s the thing. I... I think he – I – might be doing something wrong.”

“Why would you say that?”, Henry asked, and Gregor proceeded to elaborate on how he continuously failed at even the first threshold, and that for almost one and a half years.

Henry tried to think. His headache was not helping, but then he recalled the first thing Thanatos had hammered into his skull, during their very first lesson – believe in it. “Okay, I’ll answer your question with a question then.” Gregor looked slightly confused, but let him continue, “do you actually believe you could ever learn it?”

Behind him, he heard Ripred snort. “Of course he does. I told him it is possible.” But when Henry looked back at Gregor for confirmation, he averted his gaze. “I... I honestly didn’t. Not really. Not until I saw you had mastered it, as a human.”

Ripred hissed – “I told you it is possible, why did you not –?”, but Henry interrupted him – “Because you probably treated learning echolocation like exercising – simple repetition.” He groaned and closed his eye for a second. “I almost fell into that trap myself, hadn’t Death helped me avoid it.”

He eyed Gregor now, “Listen, you can’t “learn” echolocation by just repeating the same exercise over and over. You... it needs more than physical practice. You – I... I’ll tell you what you can do, if you want my help, that is. But... later, if that’s okay. I... I can’t think right now...”, he groaned, rubbing his forehead.

Ripred hissed, “oh, you think you are a better teacher than me?”, to which Henry just shrugged. “You’re great at a lot of things, Ripred. Teaching is not one of them. Not usually, at least.” The rat grumbled some more, but Gregor seemed contented. “Thank you. I... I’ll definitely come to you for this... later.”

“Anytime.” Henry eyed Gregor and saw more questions in his gaze. “Hey, we could talk tomorrow okay? I... I think I want to go to sleep after all. My head is killing me.”

“Of course!” The boy instantly stood up. “And thank you.”

The next day, after a short breakfast, Howard called for a rearrangement on the fliers. He was determined to have Henry lie down, and someone needed to ride with him to make sure in case he fell asleep, he wouldn’t fall off.

They eventually decided to switch Gregor and Hazard with Henry, the Overlander and the little boy agreed to ride with Thanatos and the supplies, while the exiled prince took their spot on Aurora – with Luxa.

“Are you... okay with this?”, he asked, listlessly chewing on a piece of raw fish. His appetite was non-existent, not with how his head was still spinning. Though Howard had been right – it was much better this morning than it had been last night.

“Of course”, she smiled. “Is your head alright? We were all scares you would... not wake up anymore, after we saw you unconscious, on Thanatos.”

He shrugged and grinned. “I’m fine. I guess the saddle can become hindering – in some, exceptional, cases. It’s certainly worth it though.”

They had to wait almost an hour before the currents had died down so much they could proceed. Thanatos with Gregor and Hazard led the way, closely followed by Aurora. The spot on her back was fairly comfortable, though Henry wasn’t used to lying down on a bat, not stomach-up, like he was now, at least.

He and Luxa passed the time by talking, he told her more stories from the uncharted lands, and she described some of the adventures from her past. Some of them Henry already knew – he had been there, after all. It was incredibly hard to still pretend he was a stranger, and yet he knew he had no choice. Not with how she –

“Hey, Luxa”, maybe he could ask now. “Hm?”, her voice was almost cheerful. “I wanted to ask... you –”, he took a deep breath, “why did you not want to keep that... that dagger I offered you, after mine and Ripred’s duel?”

He saw her expression darken instantly. “I –”, she averted her gaze, and Henry saw she was biting her lip now. “I don’t –”

“NO!” A terrible scream interrupted her, Henry jerked up instantly when he recognized it was Thanatos’ voice. He disregarded the sting in his skull and looked over Luxa’s shoulder, trying to spot whatever had made his bond cry like this.

He just about saw Thanatos land next to a small niche. Aurora lost altitude as well and landed next to his bond. Henry slid off her back and had to lean on Luxa to stand, they made their way over to Thanatos, who –

When Henry was finally close enough to see what had upset his flier so much, his head instantly started spinning again and he almost collapsed to his knees. A desperate “no”, escaped his mouth when he staggered over to the niche – in it, curled up against the wall, lied the motionless, black body of a nibbler.


	12. The Trap

Henry felt a jolt of pain run through his head. For a second he blacked out again, almost collapsing on the spot. From the corner of his eye, he saw Howard rush past him and Luxa, towards, towards –

“Is it he? Your friend?” Luxa’s voice was quiet, but he heard the suppressed panic in it perfectly well. Henry forced himself to look. To inspect the... the figure, his paws, his paws – the exiled prince would have recognized the gauntlets on them anywhere. In Luxa’s direction, he only nodded.

Suddenly, someone came up next to him and Henry felt Thanatos press against his side. He was shaking. The exiled prince collapsed beside him and buried his face in Thanatos’ fur. He should look, should help Howard, should see if – but he wasn’t strong enough. He could barely keep himself on his feet, after all.

“He lives!” Howard’s call sent fresh energy through Henry’s body like an electric shock. His head jolted up so fast it started spinning again. This time though, he disregarded the pain and sprung to his feet, stumbling over to... Teslas.

Howard, already cowering at his side, pressing a bandage he had fetched from his first aid kit to a wound in his abdomen, smiled, and repeated, quieter – “He lives.”

It took Howard more than an hour to patch the nibbler up entirely. He had been bleeding from several wounds, some of which Howard suspected to be self-inflicted. His left front paw was broken, it had needed a splint, and his tail was heavily fractured, almost like it had gotten caught beneath a heavy rock at some point. Howard had had no choice but to amputate about a third of it on the spot.

Throughout the entire process Teslas remained unconscious. Finally, after Howard instilled water into the nibbler’s mouth, he started twisting and groaning. Howard decided to let him sleep for now, and as the currents had picked up anyway, about half an hour ago, he ordered the others to rest and eat as well.

He lied Teslas with Cartesian, the two nibblers slept for a while, side by side. Henry did not leave them out of sight for a single moment. Everything in him wanted to wake Teslas up, to press him for answers at last, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good to overdo it now, so he remained in place.

From time to time his gaze would meet Thanatos, Nike, and Thalia, who had clustered together near the nibblers.

“Is he your friend? Is he going to be okay?”, Henry heard the baby bat ask and Thanatos nodded. “Howard says he will be fine, he just needs rest. Like you, by the way. To bed, young lady, you want to fly tomorrow, after all, don’t you? Like us grown-ups.”

Thalia giggled, “Yes, yes! I can fly on my own – I can fly anywhere! As fast and great as you! Do you think I can be as strong as you when I grow up? To fly over the waterway, all on my own?”

Thanatos gently cradled her under his wing. “Of course. You will fly over the waterway one day, like me. Won’t she, Nike?” The black-and-white bat smiled, “Of course! We will fly together, we all three! Does that sound like fun?” Thalia giggled, before the laugh turned into a yawn and she scooted closer to Thanatos, before closing her eyes at last. Henry couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

“Hey, he is really great with kids, Thanatos, I mean.” Henry turned to Gregor, who had spoken. “I had trouble calming her, a while ago. She was scared of the currents.” The exiled prince grinned. “He’s always had a soft spot for kids.”

While she ran by to bring Temp a portion of fish, he placed a hand on Boots’ head. “Or did you manage to crack him too, like Ripred, little missy?”

Boots giggled and grinned at him. “Bat nice! Bat tell great stories! I like flying with bat! Weeeee – you make me fly?” Gregor and Henry laughed simultaneously. “She recognized you”, the Overlander suddenly remarked, in a quieter voice. “Before us others. It’s... almost crazy.”

Henry sighed, “I almost had a heart attack, to be honest. I thought you would catch on, but... “that’s the Death Rider, that’s not Henry” – weren’t it so serious, I would have wheezed.”

Gregor frowned and opened his mouth to respond when a sound from the direction of the nibblers made all heads turn their way. “Must... MUST FOLLOW!”

Henry was up on his feet in seconds, and when he cowered at Teslas’ side, he realized Luxa and the others were doing the same. The black nibbler groaned in pain as he fell back, Howard quickly shoved them aside and checked his bandages.

“Teslas!” Henry put a hand on his forehead, it was burning with fever. “Teslas, can you hear me? It’s me – me, the Death Rider! Teslas, who must you follow? Where... where are the others?”

“Do not strain him, he is not –”, but before Howard could finish his sentence, Teslas’ usually so lively green eyes opened again. Now they were dark and pain-misted. “He... He...” – “It is me... the Death Rider, the Death Rider and his friends, Luxa and Gregor and all the others!” Panic suddenly lumped his throat Teslas might give his name away in his state, but he had underestimated his friend. His vision cleared moments later, if only a little, and he glanced around. “He... Death... Death Rider. You... you are here, you followed me, you...”

Teslas was panting from exhaustion now. “You... queen Luxa, you are here, you spoke to my daughter, my daughter... my Cevian, did she tell you? You must help us!”

Luxa’s face froze at the thought of Cevian, though she continued stroking his fur. “Yes Teslas, yes I... I heard what she had to say. I am here to help.” His expression eased a little. “They... they did not want to listen, none of them. They wanted to move, to move where the rats led them – madness, sheer madness if you ask me!”

“Yes, madness! Madness is what I said!” A second voice suddenly sounded next to them – Cartesian had woken up. “Hey, hey – you! I know you! You were the one who came from the jungle, to warn of the rats!”

The two nibblers exchanged glances. “Had they only listened to you, I... I tried to warn them, but I... I was not convincing enough, and now, and now... the others... where are the others? Where... where are... the others?” He started crying again and Howard sighed before fetching the painkiller.

“He... Death Rider, you must follow them, you hear? Queen Luxa, you must follow them. I tried to, I did, I...”, he had to pause to catch his breath, “I ran through all the tunnels, I hid, I followed, always... you must always follow them, always follow...”

Henry had never before seen him in this state. He wondered what unimaginable horrors Teslas must have gone through to leave him like this.

“I followed them, I did not follow the others down the cliff, no... the rats would have wanted me to, but I did not. I knew I couldn’t, I had to find my own colony. They said... they said they had them here, and I had to find them!” He was almost screaming now.

“I followed them, always followed, followed... I... I saw them, they, they... they chased them down this way, only a few more corners, Teslas, I said, then you would have caught up, then you could warn them, then... then... must follow, must...” Mid-sentence, Teslas collapsed back, he was panting heavily and Howard came to him with the painkiller now, after having secured Cartesian.

“Did you hear what he said?” Luxa’s voice was quiet. “He said they chased the other colony down this path. We must be close.” Henry clenched his jaw and nodded.

“Walked an awful long distance too”, Ripred suddenly sounded from behind them, “have to give him credit for that, determined, he is.”

“He was there... he saw the other mice...” Gregor appeared on his other side. “He... saw them die. By the cliff.” Henry sighed and eyed his friend, concerned. “How long must he be out here now, doing nothing but following the other nibblers? I did not count the days, but he left before even I did. I... I have never seen him like this before, he is always so... he...”

Luxa put a hand on his shoulder. “I do not know the answers to your questions, only he does. But his effort was not in vain. He led us here, he led you and you led us. Without him, who knows if we would have even made it this far. He suffered a great deal to be here”, her expression was grim, “but it was not in vain. He... he might have saved them all. His species. What...”, she swallowed, “... what is left of it.”

“Let’s go then.” Henry’s voice was drenched in bitter resolve. “Let’s go and save them. We have to. We can’t let his suffering... the suffering of all the others, the ones who already fell to the Bane’s pointless rage, have been in vain.”

They all exchanged glances – Gregor, Henry, Luxa, Howard, even Ripred – all of them filled with determination to finally put an end to all this.

They had to rearrange the seatings again, for Teslas was heavy. Finally, they settled him on Thanatos with Gregor and Boots. Howard gave him enough painkiller to keep him asleep for several hours. Hazard rode with Luxa and Henry, who fiercely protested when Howard attempted to have him lie down again, on Aurora. Howard himself remained on Nike with Cartesian, and Ripred with Temp on Ares. Thalia could fly on her own.

They made good ground, for the most part. Soon, they flew out into a huge open cavern, that seemingly had no end – Henry had barely ever seen a cave so big, save the one with the waterway and the main cave where Regalia had been built, maybe.

He saw the first volcano after about an hour. It was quiet, except for the plumes of smoke that wafted out of its top. They soon passed others, Henry thought this area must be one of the more volcanically active ones in the Firelands. Some rumbled threateningly, one had a few steady streams of lava leaking from it. None of them were really exploding, but they made the air hot and fetid.

Henry involuntarily had to think of Kismet and the volcano that had destroyed her home. For the first time since he had left her, in the deserted nibbler colony, he wondered if she had made it back to the citadel safely.

He quickly shook the uprising worry – Kismet was fine. She could handle herself. He knew she could. And Henry couldn’t afford to load more worry onto himself now. Kismet was smart and resourceful, she was strong, and fast. She was okay. She... had to be.

For now, he had to trust her to be alright, he knew that. He had to focus on other things, things he could actually influence, people he could save. And so he forced the thoughts of her out of his mind... as well as he could. For now.

Occasionally the currents would pick up and they would quickly dive into nearby caves until the winds died down enough for safe flying. On the good side, after a windstorm the air was usually somewhat more breathable.

About the fifth time they headed in for a landing, Henry thought the bats were overreacting, the currents were barely more than a breeze now. Only a few seconds later his echolocation, that had, for the most part, returned to normal, after the concussion, showed him the stop had nothing to do with the wind.

Ripred ordered them all to flatten out on the floor before he remembered he wasn’t in charge. “Sorry”, he chuckled, eyeing them all, visibly unsure who considered themselves the leader – Luxa, Henry, or Howard. “Old habit.”

“Do as he says”, said Luxa. She was already on the floor, peering out from behind a small pile of rocks. Henry and Howard exchanged glances, nodding simultaneously, before following her example. From the corner of his eye, Henry saw Gregor and the others doing the same.

Thanatos soon cowered next to him, Thalia and Nike pressed to his side, Aurora and Ares only a few inches away, with Temp between them. Luxa had an arm around Hazard, and Cartesian and Teslas Howard and Ripred had dragged off the bats, to hide them from view as well.

At first, Henry didn’t know what he was looking at. He searched with his eyes for what he had thought his echolocation had picked up earlier – movement – but couldn’t spot the source at first.

There was a volcano, a golden glow issued from the top. That wasn’t a reason for pulling over, though. Then he suddenly heard Cartesian’s voice behind him as it whispered – “... the others.”

Henry squinted into the ashy gray light, frantically focusing his hearing, and finally made out the nibblers.

They were walking single file down a long curved path that began at what looked like the mouth of a tunnel high in the rocks and that led to a pit at the base of the volcano. On one side the path ran along the edge of a sheer cliff with sharp rocks at the base. A stone wall ran along the other side of the path, blocking the view of the pit from their sight. It wasn’t until the nibblers were almost at the bottom that they realized where the rats were sending them.

The nibblers who had reached the pit began to squeal out warnings to those following them. Henry realized his hand was shaking, he focused and listened, those voices...

Instinctively he reached into his backpack and fetched the glasses Gregor had given him earlier – what had they been called again? Henry didn’t remember, and at the moment, he didn’t really care either. He held them to his eye and peered through.

His gaze wandered up the column of nibblers in search of – there. Among all the others, he hadn’t misheard. It was Lovelace. She had been first in line, now she was screaming for the others to turn around, Henry even saw her shove a few of her comrades back up. A lot of them followed her call and turned, trying to force their way back up, some literally crawling over the backs of others to try to reach the tunnel at the top.

A handful even made it, only to be driven back by rats. Then the mice began to shriek louder as a large boulder was rolled into place, sealing the mouth of the tunnel. They threw themselves against the boulder but could not budge it.

Henry tore his eye away from the scene, trying to steady the shaking of his hand. He opened his mouth to speak, to call the others into action, but Luxa beat him to it – “Let us go!”, she cried, jumping to her feet.

“And do what?”, asked Ripred, stepping in front of her. “You, all of you, you’ve got to stop running into dangerous situations without using your heads! There is no faster way to get killed!”

Henry was up as well now, he and Luxa were standing before Ripred. “What are you talking about? This is why we are here!”, his voice was almost shaking, “We found them, Ripred, they are Teslas’ colony, they... they are why he led us here. We can’t just sit here and... and... we could carry them out of the pit to safety!”

Henry was itching to take action. It went against his entire nature to remain passive. What use was it to sit around here, waiting for – _Why should we risk our lives for them? They’re useless. Useless and weak._

Henry didn’t know why his own words, from almost two years ago, came to mind suddenly – or maybe he did. Because the situation was the same. He vividly saw before his inner eye the two crawlers he had refused to save, he saw Thanatos’ furious expression... _They’re useless and weak._

I sat there and watched two individuals die. “Against my nature” – bullshit. It wasn’t, not back then. He almost shuddered at the memory. Sure, he hadn’t known the crawlers back then, and the mice were his friends, but even the thought of watching strangers in peril without helping, no matter the species, made him feel uneasy now.

You never knew what kind of opportunities arose from helping others. His experience from the two years as an outcast had shown often enough that saving someone usually held much more perks than downsides.

“Yes, we could carry a handful of them. But there are hundreds trapped down there”, Ripred sounded grim, almost sorrowful, like Henry had never heard before. “Do you not think the rats might notice an airlift going on? And then what? We lose the one element we have in our favor. Surprise.”

“Then what do you want us to do?”, Luxa demanded to know. Henry glanced over at her and thought he even saw a tear shining in her eye. “Wait for the volcano to smother them in lava?”

“No – no, oh for goodness sake, I just want you to think about it for a moment!”, snapped Ripred.

“V is for volcano”, Boots reminded everyone. “And valentine.” She poked Ripred on the haunch with her scepter. “Valentine!” Ripred sighed. “Why are you here?” Henry inevitably asked himself the same.

A gust of wind suddenly swept by, drawing everyone’s attention. It wasn’t strong enough to believe the currents were starting up again, but at least it was clearing the air a little. One overriding gust seemed to be blowing out of a nearby cave. It was sweeping the ashy haze toward the nibblers and giving Henry his first breath of clean air in hours.

“Hey, look, you need not argue, the nibblers are taking action themselves!”, Howard suddenly called, pointing their way. Henry instantly raised the thing – binoculars, was it binoculars? He searched for the nibblers, for what Howard had meant.

He immediately saw the mice had overcome their initial panic and were organizing themselves to carry out an escape plan. Lovelace was orchestrating it, she and... yes, that figure next to her, with the pearly white fur... was Curie.

Under their supervision, the rest had begun to build a triangular formation by bracing themselves along the far wall of the pit. A single row of mice formed the base. Others were swarming onto their backs swiftly. The triangle was rising before their eyes.

“That’s smart. A pyramid!”, Henry heard Gregor remark, to everyone’s surprise, it was Cartesian who interrupted him – “No, it is the Isosceles Maneuver”, he said, and instantly all gazes were on him. For the first time since Cartesian had joined them, the mouse seemed truly lucid.

“What’s that?”, Gregor asked, and another unexpected voice answered – “It is not a true pyramid, for it has three, not four, points. Rather, they aspire to mimic a two-dimensional triangle.” Teslas sounded weak, but Henry saw now he was staring at his colony like they all. “I knew you could... you could get them out of there, Lovelace”, Henry heard him mumble, and he instinctively started stroking his fur a little. “Yes. She is smart, they all are. They will get out of there in no-time.”

“See, they have a plan. Let’s work with it”, Ripred spoke up again, “what they need is someone to hold that path if the rats come through.”

“Then we will do so”, Luxa sounded grim, and Henry nodded. He already reached for his sword. “Lad, fliers, you need to keep your eyes – and echolocation – out for the rats”, Ripred continued, and Henry hummed approvingly. He was already doing exactly that.

“Good. Temp, watch the pups. The rest of you mount up”, Ripred commanded – apparently not concerned with appearing humble or asking who the leader was anymore – and Henry took a step towards Thanatos. He saw the eyes of his flier had darkened with determination now – they needn’t words.

“Hold on!”, Luxa suddenly had his arm, “We should wait until the boulder begins to move. That will give us time to reach the path but not alert the rats to our presence beforehand.”

“Good. Very good. Now you are thinking”, Ripred snarled. “Everyone, wait for it, as she says.”

Henry clenched his jaw, he hated waiting, but he understood the purpose of it now. He cowered down and raised the binoculars to watch the boulder, and his friends. They were so close, almost in reach. Henry once more thought it went against his entire nature to sit here and leave them in peril, but he forced himself on the ground. Thanatos was pressing into his side now, they were both trembling in anticipation and anxiety.

Henry stared through the binoculars, unable to take his eyes off the nibblers, their triangle formation had almost reached the top of the pit now. Henry noticed he was biting his lip to the point where it almost started bleeding – where in the world were the rats? Surely they were smarter than –

The first nibbler had now reached the edge of the pit, Henry could see he was holding on to it, making sure the formation was stable. The escape plan was working.

“Maybe the rats won’t come back...?”, Gregor sounded as uncertain as Henry felt. “Maybe they didn’t figure the mice could get out...?”

“Do you really think they are that stupid?”, the exiled prince responded, staring at the nibblers, almost not believing their luck.

“You are right. Something is wrong. Why would the rats allow this?” Luxa was beside him now, he saw her clenching her fists around an edge on the rock they were hiding behind.

“They wouldn’t.” The grim tone had returned to Ripred’s voice, he paused, “Unless they were expecting something else to do their work for them.” A terrible presentiment suddenly engulfed Henry, what was going on here? “But there’s no lava. The volcano isn’t even erupting”, his voice was irritated, he had to forcefully keep it down.

Suddenly Temp began to wave his antennas, his feet stepping nervously on the ground. “Not lava, it be, not lava”, he mumbled over and over. “Not lava, not lava.”

The others turned their attention to the crawler, trying to understand what he was referring to, but Henry couldn’t stop staring at the nibblers. He saw they were sending the pups up now – trying to save them first. Five little ones were making their way to the top, Henry’s throat tightened as he recognized them – they were Curie’s and Cevian’s.

The exiled prince made out the dark grey fur of Kepler now, he was struggling to climb – finally something fell from his paw to the ground of the pit. Henry could have sworn it was the second half of his figurine.

The baby cried and wanted to climb back down, but Curie, who had followed them now, shoved him up. Henry thought he saw him reach to climb on before he suddenly lost his grip and fell.

What... what was going on? The exiled prince tightened his grip on the binoculars to the point where his knuckles shone white and stared at the mice... the mice...?

“The nibblers. Something is happening to them!”, he heard Howard call, and instinctively took a step forward until his upper body was pressing against the rock before him.

Unbelievingly, Henry watched the other pups, who had almost reached the top now, lose grip as well. One by one they plummeted down. What was happening, why were they...? It did not take long for the first adult mouse to follow. The one at the top of the triangle faltered first, then another... and another. Then the entire formation disintegrated.

Every last mouse left in the pit had collapsed in a heap. But they weren’t dead. He stared at the scene and saw them... their bodies flailing around, almost like they were in some sort of pain. But Henry saw no source.

Chaos now broke out in the cave – “What’s going on?”, cried Gregor. “We must go!”, Luxa shouted desperately. Beside him, he noticed Thanatos had spread his wings. “I will go.”

Panic flooded Henry, fear for his flier. Whatever was going on, he could not simply let him go alone. “Not go, you do, not go!”, begged Temp, his words only undermining Henry’s own fear. He dropped the binoculars and grabbed hold of Thanatos’ saddle in the last second, preventing the flier from taking off. “NOO!”, Thanatos cried and tried to shake him, and hadn’t Ripred come to help him hold the flier in place, Henry would have lost him.

“Take flight, Aurora!”, Luxa called to his left, from the corner of his eye Henry saw Howard grab her. Aurora had already spread her wings, but wouldn’t go without Luxa. Next to her Hazard had wrapped his arms around Thalia’s neck, they were curled up in a ball, pressed against the stone. Their piteous cries rang in his ears.

“GET OFF ME!” Thanatos was harder to hold. Henry and Ripred had to fixate his wings on the floor to restrain him, and the exiled prince felt tears starting to stream down his face. He did not want to do this. “Death... DEATH, NO... no, we can’t...”

When Thanatos seemingly stopped fighting to observe, Henry picked the binoculars back up. “What do you see, lad? What’s happening to them?” Ripred’s voice was strained from holding the flier.

Henry’s jaw dropped as he caught his first glimpse at the nibblers, his mind reeled trying to find words to describe the nightmare unfolding before his eye. “I don’t know! I...”

The mice were rolling on the ground now, pawing at the air, at their necks. Automatically, Henry searched the pile for familiar faces, there was Curie’s distorted expression, her body wracked with terrible spasms, like the others. Her mother beside her and her young... Two of them were already lying motionless on the floor, the rest was still fighting, gasping, twisting, like... like... “They can’t breathe!”, he finally burst out, “They’re suffocating!”

Luxa’s maniacal scream rang in his ears, and he had to drop the binoculars again to force Thanatos on the floor with his entire body weight. The flier let out a high-pitched scream, Henry had barely ever heard his voice so pained. One of his wings hit the exiled prince as it jolted up, but Ripred was still holding on. He was screaming names now – calling for them, calling for Curie, for the others, Curie over and over again.

From the corner of his eye, Henry saw Teslas and Cartesian, the latter had managed to get up and limped to the cave opening, to try and fling himself into the air, to either catch a current to help the other nibblers or simply kill himself – Henry didn’t know which. Luckily, Ares caught him before he fell. Teslas’ face was simply pure shock, frozen, like a mask. He had not the strength to move.

“It’s poisonous gas”, Ripred’s voice rang in Henry’s ears suddenly. “It must be leaking from the volcano.” The exiled prince desperately tried to hold onto his flier, he was barely able to see from tears now. But he needed not to see.

His enhanced hearing worked as well as ever, and Henry heard the hundreds of pained and desperate screams like they were only a few feet away. They penetrated his ears, his head, his entire being.

In the background, Henry heard the cries from his party members, Luxa, Boots, and Gregor, Ripred’s angry voice, but all he could focus on was Thanatos. He was fighting less now, the struggle had strained him, and Henry pressed his face as deep into his fur as he could, still desperately gripping the straps of the saddle.

Henry wished the screams would go away, but he could not break his focus, he could not stop. His brain automatically latched onto the voices he knew – Curie’s voice went silent first. That of her mother and brother followed soon after before Henry could hear nothing but silence from the pit. A terrible grave-silence.

“NOO!” Thanatos’ voice cried suddenly, and with what was probably the last of his strength, he finally freed himself from Ripred’s and Henry’s grip. The exiled prince screamed and jumped after him, only to be caught in mid-air by Ripred.

“DEATH!” Henry’s vision was blurry, he only saw the shape of his flier gain altitude, and struggled in Ripred’s grasp, finally drawing Mys and slicing the rat across one of his paws. Ripred cried in pain and let go, but he had been holding Henry up and so the exiled prince found himself falling to the floor.

He stretched his hands out to break his fall but his head hit the ground nonetheless. A sharp pain jolted through it, the last Henry saw was Ripred leaning over him before he blacked out.

_Catch the nibblers in a trap._

_See the nibblers spin and snap._

Henry thought he was dreaming. That the song, this stupid, weird, song had followed him into his dreams, sung in Boots’ cheerful little voice. Was he dreaming?

“Oh, he is waking! Hey, that fall was bad for your concussion, says Howard.” No. No he wasn’t dreaming. Henry flung his eye open and jolted up, instantly reaching for his head and groaning in pain.

“I... ah... what happened?” He took a look around, at the sorry pile their party had turned into, and searched for one face in vain. “DEATH!” The memory returned instantly, his flier gaining altitude when he –

“Lie still! You can not go after him!” Howard pressed him to the floor, his face grim and almost lifeless, like a mask. Henry tried to shake him as best he could, yelling Thanatos’ name over and over. Where was he? Had he flown into the gas? Into the volcano?

“He is gone, lad”, Ripred spoke now, “not dead, not that kind of gone, but gone. He circled around the pit before disappearing into one of the tunnels. You can not follow him, not on your own.”

Henry’s head was spinning worse now, and not from the concussion. He finally shook Howard’s grip and managed to get to his feet. “D... Death...”, he stumbled forward, and almost collapsed when someone caught him – Luxa. “Ripred is right. You can not go after him. We will find him, but we will do so together.”

Her gaze was dark and misted with pain, but sympathetic. Henry did not care anymore, at that moment. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, sinking to the floor, pressing his face into her shoulder – crying. To his surprise, she returned the hug, mumbling “we will find him, we will, he will be alright”, over and over. Henry had no idea how long they had remained there, huddled together, crying... together, but it must have been several minutes. Minutes he tried not even to deny a part of him enjoyed.

In the background, Henry heard the quiet voice of Boots continuing her little song. The words rang in his ears –

_Catch the nibblers in a trap._

_See the nibblers spin and snap._

_Quiet while they take a nap._

She was interrupted by Gregor a few times, but Henry did not listen. Not until he felt Luxa’s head jerk up too. What had the boy just said...?

“That’s not a song”, he heard the Overlander’s voice, “that’s a prophecy! Don’t you see?”

A... prophecy? Henry raised his gaze, at last, to stare at Gregor. His head suddenly started spinning more. A... _Don’t you find some of the lyrics a little... odd?_ Thanatos’ voice suddenly rang in his ears, from back when he had sung it to the mice, the mice... the babies... Henry bit down on his lip, realizing he had sung this rhyme to the very same babies who had died today, in that pit. And the song...

Henry did not participate in the following discussion regarding the origin and the meaning of the song... the prophecy. Was it truly a prophecy? He went over the lyrics in his head, tried to come to terms with what it seemingly was, what it meant.

Had they been singing this... this horrific prophecy about the killing of an entire species to their children for centuries? Had he... he himself sung it to the babies who had died by the strings this prophecy was pulling?

“I have nothing but rags”, he heard Luxa mumble her arms still around him tightly, “I cannot be the queen.” The queen. _See the queen who conquers night – gold flows from her hot and bright._ The lyrics formed in Henry’s head automatically

He was so focused on his own thoughts he only heard the low rumble when the rest of the party went silent. He instantly released Luxa and glanced up at the volcano. A thin stream of lava bubbled out of the top and ran down the side toward the pit. As gold as gold can be.

“Gold flows from her, hot and bright...” Nike mumbled, “you do not think that...” – “I think the Overlander’s right”, Ripred’s voice was ominous. He nodded at the volcano. “There’s your gold.”

Gregor stood up first. “And there’s your queen.”


	13. Loss

A second, louder rumble shook the ground under their feet. “Get out of here!”, shouted Ripred, his voice distorted to a high-pitched screech, to be heard over the sounds of the volcano.

But everything fell into confusion as they tried to mount the bats. They had changed riders so many times during the trip that no one was sure where their designated seat was.

Henry had only managed to stand up, instinctively looking around, expecting to see Thanatos, before he remembered his flier was gone. His head started spinning more from how fed up and tired he was of everything... Thanatos was – wait, they... they had not enough fliers! Had they enough fliers now, to carry everyone?

Henry’s head was pounding, he was trying to assess the situation, to come up with a seating arrangement that would accommodate everyone, but his mind was blank. Then he registered Ares’ cry – “Luxa, Death Rider, Teslas – on Aurora. Howard, Hazard, Temp, Cartesian – on Nike. Gregor and Boots – with me and Ripred. Thalia, fly under me in case you tire!”

He meekly staggered over to Aurora, infinitely glad Ares had had the mind for this right now.

Everyone stumbled around but by following Ares’s directions managed to get a seat. Henry ended up between Luxa and Teslas, who clung to his backpack from behind. The exiled prince felt his fur against his neck and realized the nibbler was shaking.

The second the bats left the cave they were swept up in a strong current that was blowing in from a cave overhead – what timing. It was the same current that had cleared away the ashen air and assured that the poisonous gas did not drift their way – only much stronger.

They were flying straight for the volcano now. At first, it seemed insane, but then Henry realized that the only way they could get away from it was to ride the current that blew right over.

The exiled prince was fighting to stay conscious now. His head was still spinning and he felt himself sink against Luxa, desperately trying to keep his eye open. The rumbling from the “queen” almost tore through his eardrums, yet to him in that particular moment it almost sounded... soothing.

 _Dancing in the firelight, see the queen who conquers night –_ he heard Boots’ voice sing now, as she had before. But no, that couldn’t be. Boots was on Nike... or Ares? Was she here with them? Henry realized he didn’t know. All he heard was the voice, repeating the song over and over, like a lullaby. It was a lullaby... it was a... no, it was a prophecy. Was it not a lullaby anymore if it was a prophecy?

When Aurora suddenly dropped a few feet and Luxa before him cried out, he snapped out of his daze. Only now Henry realized the golden bat was panting heavily and struggling to retain the height.

It’s too much weight for her, she won’t carry us all for long, he realized, and fear pierced his heart when he gazed down at the lava, that was now slowly but surely seeping into the pit with the nibblers.

Henry felt a spear pierce his heart at the sight of them. He wanted to say something, something like “rest in peace” or “you will never be forgotten”, but he had not the strength to even look away. Not even to weep. He had his head leaned on Luxa’s shoulder now, staring down, not actively trying to make out familiar shapes, but instinctively doing so anyway.

They were dead... were they dead? Were they... they looked so peaceful. Maybe... maybe Boots had been right and they were just sleeping. Sleeping... With that, Henry’s own eye finally fell shut and he drifted away into unconsciousness, his last gaze at the pearly white coat of Curie, down in the pit... sleeping.

Henry reflexively squinted his eye more when he realized someone was shining a light at his face. His first urge was to cough and so he did, jerking up and causing the ash around him to whirl up. It was covering the floor around him entirely, almost like a smooth carpet of grey.

Only when someone handed him a water sack and he had washed his mouth out, he realized he was staring at Howard. Luxa’s cousin sighed of relief when he saw the exiled prince was alive, and yet Henry immediately noticed his face was grave still. He blinked a couple times, trying to process the meaning. What was –

“Oh... not Thalia!”, Henry suddenly heard Gregor cry and his head jerked around in his direction automatically. There, between the ash, the Overlander had sunken to his knees and he saw... he saw...

Was it her? It couldn’t be. Thalia was bigger than that, wasn’t she? The curled up ball lying against the cave wall now, almost entirely covered in grey ash, was barely as big as a child... as Luxa, he instantly thought. Only when he saw the light shine on a spot of peach-colored fur, the realization sank in...

The mice weren’t enough death for the day, were they? Henry felt his jaw clench painfully and his breaths shake, each was like an arduous task, breathe in – breathe out. Not... not enough death. Not yet.

From his right, he heard the desperate weeping of Hazard – “It was the mark. The mark of secret. It took my mother and now it took her.” Luxa was cradling him in her embrace, trying to comfort him – but in vain.

Henry couldn’t bear it a second longer. It was like a wire in his mind snapped as he sprung to his feet – he needed to get out of here. Out of here and away from these people, away from the painful screaming in his head, from the sorrow and the guilt he felt was squeezing his heart like an iron fist – I was their leader, I insisted we followed Teslas.

He was trembling fiercely now, his teeth were audibly rattling. Away, it rang in his mind, I need to get away from... from the death, so much death... “DEATH!”

All heads jerked in his direction, Henry didn’t even realize he had screamed the name out loud until they did. “D... Death...” His voice was weaker now, he frantically stumbled in the opposite direction from the group, his eyes maniacally searching for Thanatos while knowing very well they would not spot him. Not here.

Henry was dizzy, lights were sparking before his eye, like the distant gleams of shiners, and he almost slipped in the scattered ash before he felt a paw grip his shoulder firmly. “Go look for him.”

He managed to turn his head in Ripred’s direction and was almost surprised to find his gaze entirely serious. “I will look after the others. Go look for your flier, lad. We both know he needs you more than they now.” The rat gestured at the group behind them.

Howard now stood up. “Wait, he can’t just... you can’t just go out there on your own, what if you encounter rats? Or what if –”, but Ripred interrupted him, “The lad can take care of himself, Howard. You know that as well as I do.” In Henry’s direction, he once more nodded – “Go. Go. Go. Go.” After a short moment of hesitation, something like a glimmer ignited in his gaze – “Stand with your friend.”

It took Henry a second to grasp what he has just done before he was taken over by a coughing fit which slowly turned into almost hysteric laughter. “I will.”

Henry had no idea how long he was already stumbling through the ashen halls, screaming Thanatos’ name. He was barely lucid himself, having a hard time distinguishing shadowy hallucinations from reality.

All that kept him sane, kept him going, was his echolocation. It was a ray of precision and clarity in the mist before his eye and in his mind, painting sharp images of his surroundings.

The halls were deathly silent, apart from his own calls and his heaving breaths. At times, Henry thought he would suffocate from the ash, but soon he apparently had wandered so far off the air freshened a little and he could properly breathe.

He had no plan, not even a slight idea, as to where he was going, all he knew was that he wasn’t returning to the others without Thanatos. He’d rather curl up in a corner and die here than leave him behind.

But he left you behind, Henry suddenly realized, and the thought pierced his heart like an arrow of steel. He left you –

Henry sensed his breathing grow rapid, and not from physical exertion. His mind flashed with images of Thanatos, of himself, holding the flier back, of his unearthly screams at the death of the nibblers. He had wanted to be with them more than with Henry.

A lump clogged his throat now, a lump of uncried tears. He would have died with them, had I let him. He does not care, does not give a shit about what I would do, how I would feel if he died.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Henry felt a wave of shame for his own selfishness – why even would Thanatos care? He had done nothing. He had sat there and done nothing to save anyone, he was a pathetic, selfish traitor – he was the one who deserved to have died with the nibblers. Instead of the nibblers.

“DEATH!”, he called out once more, leaning on the wall now. Where was he? Why was he not answering? He can surely hear me, he couldn’t have flown that far, Henry thought. Is he sick of me? The thought scared him beyond belief. It couldn’t be... no, they... they were one. His chest burned with emptiness, like a part of himself had forcefully been ripped away. A part of himself... There was no Thanatos without Henry anymore, he realized... and no Henry without Thanatos. Not really.

He could now feel tears washing away the ash that had settled on his face. The bandage that was still covering his missing eye was now crusted with blood and ash, Henry fumbled at it angrily. He wanted it off, but... he had no strength anymore. He couldn’t... One foot before the other, Henry, he thought, deliberately taking one step at a time. Just don’t stop. Don’t stop, don’t fall now, or you’ll never get back up. Don’t –

Henry’s ears were peaked, so when he finally more sensed than heard the distant sound of breathing, his head instantly jerked up. It was like the sound had reanimated his limp body and he started running now, blindly, towards the sound. At that moment he did not give a single thought to how it might not be Thanatos at all, how it might even be enemies, rats – he just ran.

When Henry finally stumbled into the dead-end side tunnel from where the breaths were coming, he froze in the entrance. His echolocation worked perfectly well, painting a clear image of the path ahead – but something was wrong...

The exiled prince blankly stared at the curled up pile at the far end of the tunnel. He was pressed against the wall, and even Henry’s echolocation was precise enough to pick up the trembling.

“D... Death?” Henry heard his own voice sound unbelieving. An image of Thalia’s dead body, curled up against the wall, seeming way too small and fragile to be herself, flashed in his mind. Was this... his flier?

He meekly stumbled a few steps forward, towards... towards... He didn’t react. It was like he did not even hear Henry, did not even register he was here.

“Death?”, he asked once more, finally collapsing beside the pile, the pile that was his bond... was it? Henry couldn’t bear to see, to perceive, him like this for a moment longer, it was like with the questers and all the death... only worse. All Henry wanted was to collapse and cry, right there. To share comfort with his bond, like they always did. Always. They were bonds. They were one.

But when Henry had gotten close enough so that his leg brushed against Thanatos, the flier suddenly let out a sharp hiss, retreating further into the corner. Henry jerked back, almost stumbling over his own feet. “D... Death?” What was going on? Did he not recognize his own bond anymore? His own... own bond?

“Death, it’s me!” Henry was shocked at how hoarse his voice sounded, “I... I’ve been looking for you all over, I... I thought you were dead, I thought you... you... Death, answer me!” He was now frantically tugging at the bandages that still covered his eye. He finally wanted them off, gone – so that his flier would see.... see him.

Thanatos still didn’t answer. But now he slowly opened one of his usually so bright gleaming amber eyes and stared at Henry with an expression that shook the exiled prince to the core. One he had hoped to never see again.

The only time he remembered having seen his flier’s eyes this dark was when he... the arena. Images of Thanatos and him, battling to the death, flashed in his mind. At his bond’s claw in his stomach. The cold in his eyes, the cold... it was back.

“Death... It’s me! It’s me! Don’t you recognize me?” Panic swelled in Henry, how was this happening now? Longclaw was dead, he could not drive them apart anymore – his mind frantically started searching for what had gone wrong, what he had done wrong – that could possibly have triggered this – but he could not find anything. He felt like he would start hyperventilating any moment when he finally collapsed on the floor, helplessly stretching a hand out in Thanatos’ direction.

The flier watched the hand, he wanted nothing more than for it to go away. Like the human... the boy... it was attached to. He saw the hand, he saw the face, the tears, the desperation... and he wanted it to go away.

Leave, he screamed at the boy in his head, leave... leave like all of them have. He finally squeezed his eye shut again, exchanging the face of the boy for the image of the nibblers... the pit. It was like he could still hear their desperate screams echo through the halls, and see their frantic spasms, see them... see...

Flashes of memories clawed at his heart like sharp talons. _Come play! Henny and Thansos play!_ She was sitting on his head... he was... he was... the rat king. _Thansos I have something for you! Thansos, come, I need to show you something! Thansos!_

Her laughter echoed in his head like she was sitting beside him, the excited squeals of her babies, of Prisma, of Cone – the ones of Lovelace, then of Cevian and Pascal – Octon – Kepler. Kepler and his figurine. The boy had glued it together when he...

“W... who will play with it now?” The flier did not realize he had raised his voice. “Who will play with the figurine now, the one you glued together? Now, now that...” He had not the strength to finish the sentence.

Henry stared at his flier, mouth slightly agape. He saw Kepler before he had fallen, dropping the one half of the figurine he had saved. Himself stepping on the other half back at the colony. He could not speak. Instead, Henry raised his hand once more to place it on Thanatos’ back, but once more his flier jerked back. “Death...”

He could not accept the boy’s comfort. Not now. Not when he was still belittling himself for not have died in that pit, together with the nibblers. He should have... died with them.

“Death, STOP IT!”

The flier winced at the scream, he started breathing heavier now. The boy... his eye shone with fury, with despair, with so many emotions at once the flier could not count them. His bandage was gone, yet none of the so familiar positive emotions flooded the flier, that usually went hand in hand with seeing the boy. Not this time.

“You can’t DO THIS AGAIN!” His voice was trembling now, the flier saw tears in his eye. “You can’t... can’t... pretend like... like I DON’T MATTER.... like WE DON’T MATTER! We are BONDS, DEATH, whether you LIKE IT OR NOT!” He was shaking with sobs. “You... you can’t... I won’t ALLOW YOU TO PUSH ME AWAY ANYMORE! They... I know you loved them, I know! Because SO DID I! Do you think I do not grieve?!” The boy stopped screaming, his voice broke into desperate weeping. “Y... you promised...”

The word hit the flier, different scenes started replaying in his head. The boy... the boy and he. He had promised...

“... t... to never... never LEAVE ME!”, the boy cried in a mix of desperation and anger, the flier felt the ground shake a little from how he hit his fist on it.

“Death, come on!” Henry angrily wiped away his tears, “come on, I’ll bring you back, I’ll bring you home, okay?” He had no idea where or what he meant with “home”, but it didn’t matter.

A shudder ran through Thanatos’ body at the words. “S... shut up. Shut the hell up. You... don’t make false promises, don’t attempt to conjure hope when there is nothing to hope for.” Henry wanted to scream at him to shut up himself, but his throat was clogged with tears.

“They... they are dead... all dead. I was stupid to think they would live. That they would get to live. They died... like everyone dies, like everyone I ever loved will die.” Something about the way Thanatos was speaking now frightened Henry. “Death, but I...”

“You too.” Henry gasped at his words. “Do not pretend you are above death. You... you will die too, you will leave me, so do not talk to me about our promise. Not you.”

“No!” He had never seen Thanatos like this before and it scared him more than he wanted the flier to know. Henry instinctively inched closer to him, Thanatos had not the strength to refuse anymore. “No – I won’t LEAVE you, I’m right here! What are you even talking about?”

The flier felt the words of the boy shake him to his core. He had promised... But what was it worth now, that promise? The flier felt the fresh wounds from all the connections, the new connections he had formed in foolish trust, that had been severed today like they were physically bleeding.

Trust... love... loyalty... care... he had started to believe again. After seven years, he had started to believe again, believe he deserved any of it. And now he was paying the price.

“You... not now.” The flier averted his gaze. “Not now you will leave. But you will. Die, or leave... eventually. Everyone does. So... get it over with now.” His voice was but a whimper. “Get it over with and go. D... Do me the favor. Please.”

The flier felt his head was spinning as he stared at the boy, the boy he had always associated with good things. With trust, and hope, and... future. The flier frantically searched for those things in the boy’s gaze, but he could not find them. He saw nothing – his future, his past, his present... were they different at all? He saw blackness in all of them, misery, pain, loneliness... He shut his eyes again... he did not want to look.

Henry was speechless. Leave... now? A part of him was confused, but another... understood. Understood the fear behind the words. So he did the only thing he could.

Henry felt Thanatos’ body stiffen under his embrace, like he wanted to shake him, but the exiled prince wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, pressing his face into the ashy fur. I will not let him push me away anymore – the thought echoed in his mind over and over.

“That is not true”, he mumbled into the fur, “not me. Not me. I can’t, not even if I wanted. Remember what I said? We are bonds. It’s how bonds work. It’s how we work. We... we are one. One.” A shiver ran through Thanatos’ body at the word.

“And...”, he took a deep breath, “I am not the only one who still loves you either. Not even remotely. What of Nike, Death? What of Aurora and Ares, what of the questers? What of Kismet?” The name stung, but he forced himself to speak it. She was fine.

Henry kept talking, almost mindlessly, just to fill the silence. His mind reeled back to how he had been half-unconscious after losing his eye, how Thanatos had talked of past and future, of adventure and peril – and he did the same. He talked and talked, of everything but despair and sorrow, and slowly but surely he felt Thanatos relax more and more.

Eventually, the flier finally returned the embrace, wrapping Henry in his wing tightly. The exiled prince soon stopped talking and they just lied there, huddled together, weeping and grieving – but finally aware of how they at least had each other.

For the first time since the nibblers’ death, the exiled prince truly allowed himself to cry for them, and he did.

He had no idea how long they had lain there, silently holding each other, united by so much more than just their common sorrow, when Thanatos, at last, spoke again. His voice was misted in pain. “I... I am sorry. I... I didn’t mean to push you away, I... I was... I had just... just started to believe getting attached could be worth it after all, and then...”, he fell silent, though he needed no words for Henry to understand.

“The new connections were ripped away, like the old ones had in the past? I know. But you aren’t alone. I’m not going anywhere. Never again.”

Thanatos was silent for a while before he raised his voice again, this time Henry could make out guilt in his tone. “I... Henry, I want you to know, I... I did not mean to... to fight you so much when you prevented me from flying at the volcano. I did not mean to... to leave you. To die with them. I just...”

“You weren’t thinking.” Henry knew the feeling all too well, yet he was still relieved to hear this from the flier’s own mouth. “You saw someone in pain and you wanted to go help. I don’t hold it against you. Just...”, he sobbed a little, “next time... take me with you, okay?” Even Thanatos couldn’t suppress a light chuckle at that.

“We... we need to go back.” Henry hated disrupting the almost peaceful silence, but the more his immediate pain shrunk, the more his thoughts started wandering back to the others. They are most likely waiting for us, he thought, and shuddered when Thalia came to mind again. He would wait, bearing the news of her death. Right now, Thanatos needed a break from death altogether. And so did Henry, if he was perfectly honest.

His flier finally released him and nodded. “They... they will be waiting.” Henry saw in his gaze the shame about how he had acted. He tried to throw him an encouraging smile. “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself over this. I’m sure nobody will be mad at you. Come on.”

It took Thanatos only five minutes to reach the cave where Henry had last seen the party. He used the time to strap on an eyepatch and dust off some of the ash from his hair and clothes. The exiled prince was emotionally and physically worn out, yes, but there was no need to show that to everyone, was there now?

When they arrived where he had parted with the questers, they ended up being greeted by Ripred and Ares only. “They flew ahead”, the rat remarked, “I was waiting for... uh, a flier who could carry me.” He and Henry exchanged glances and Ripred realized the exiled prince hadn’t told Thanatos about Thalia’s death yet. “We’ll explain on the flight”, he announced and mounted Ares.

In the end, the black flier filled Thanatos in himself, on everything that had happened since he had left – the song that was a prophecy, the eruption, and Thalia’s death. The two communicated in the fliers’ own language and Ripred and Henry saw not the need to interrupt.

Thanatos took the news seemingly well. He fell silent after Ares had finally brought himself to say it, and Henry thought he must not be shaken by anything anymore today. Or maybe he was just tired... tired of voicing the desperation, the grief. Because if he was entirely honest, Henry was too.

They caught up to the others in what felt like no time. They had made camp in an area at the outskirts of the Firelands, bordering the jungle. Everyone was relieved the two outcasts were safe, especially Nike. As soon as Thanatos had landed, he went to lie with her, and Henry let him. He was infinitely glad there was someone besides himself to keep his bond’s loneliness in check – and Nike was much better at comforting than he.

“Where did you take her?”, Howard quietly asked Ares, regarding Thalia. “Back to the queen”, the black flier answered and sighed. “So she might lie with the nibblers and not alone. The lava will claim them all soon. Half were already covered.”

“Yes. The Bane does not only want to kill them. He wants them to disappear without a trace”, Ripred concluded. His words were followed by a grim silence, of which Henry was glad Thanatos, who was sleeping next to Nike now, did not notice it.

Henry reluctantly went to prepare a meal from the fish Ares an Aurora had caught in a nearby river, and Howard helped distribute the food. Nobody was overly hungry, but they ate nonetheless.

Henry paid little attention to the discussion about the newly discovered prophecy, that soon arose. He was too shaken by what he had just experienced to participate, so he sat on the side, mindlessly staring either at Thanatos and Nike, or into the jungle. Until someone sat beside him.

Henry felt Gregor’s unease before he saw the boy’s face. “Hm? Do you need something?” The Overlander shifted. “I...” He stared back at the others now. “I... prophecies aren’t... They can be... misinterpreted. And they can be wrong... right?”

Henry stared at Gregor, confused. What was he getting at? “Wrong? No, that’s the whole point of prophecies. They aren’t... wrong.”

“But what about you then?” Gregor sounded almost desperate. “You... the Prophecy of Gray said you would die, and you didn’t. So why... why do you say... say it’s unavoidable?”

Henry sighed. “Because it wasn’t wrong. It... Death and I found a way to interpret it so that it doesn’t require me to die.” He explained their theory in brief words, how Thanatos was the Death who had reaped Henry’s life, almost glad for the shift in topic, away from death and despair.

Gregor sighed. “It’s... actually always right then. Like, there will be a war for sure. A bloody one. And I will be... part of it.” Henry nodded, glancing at the Overlander from the corner of his eye. So that’s what this was about.

“Hey, don’t just give up like that”, he tried to sound cheerful, “prophecies may always be right, but people aren’t. What we or anyone thinks a prophecy means can be very wrong. Remember the Prophecy of Blood? Or that of the Bane? You – we – made mistakes in each.” He smiled, how he hoped, encouragingly. “Just... don’t be too pessimistic or close-minded about it. Something might sound crystal-clear and mean something entirely different in the end, in any prophecy. Just... keep that in mind, will you?”

Gregor finally returned his smile. “Okay.” Then it faded again. “Though, from the way they talked about this new prophecy, I am really conflicted about even looking at it”, he mumbled, staring at his hands.

Before Henry could answer, he was interrupted – “You ready, boy?”, Ripred called as he approached Gregor. The Overlander sighed and stood up. “Mhm. Sure.” – “Hold on, for what?” Henry listened up as well. Ripred shrugged. “He is going back to Regalia. With the pups and the wounded.”

“You will do no such thing!” Henry was staring into the faces of Howard and Luxa, unbelievingly. Go on an additional trip to “gather allies” – these two? Not on his watch.

“You have no place to command me!”, she fired back, and he saw the grim determination in her eyes. “Oh but I do. And I will.” He glanced at Gregor, who was standing on the side, visibly uncomfortable. “And your fliers are needed with the kids, as you might have noticed. Or do you expect Ares to carry two nibblers along with all the kids? With all due respect, he is strong – but not that strong.”

Luxa shifted uncomfortably. “Nike will fly with Gregor. She will carry one of the nibblers. Howard can ride with me on Aurora.”

Henry shook his head. “Luxa, out here is not your place. You need to go back to Regalia.” He took a step towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You are the queen. You have a war to prepare for. You want Regalia to have confirmation you are safe, on their side, right?”

He saw by the look in her eyes he was getting through to her, so he did not stop. “You don’t need to stay.” Henry took a deep breath, “Because I will do that.”

All heads jolted in his direction, but Henry focused only on Luxa. “We made an oath. Together. Remember? So let me do what I can – I can not follow you to Regalia, I can only act out here, so you need to leave this to me. I will go and find the Bane for you – I know these tunnels far better than any of you – I will find him and I will find out what he is planning now, if he even knows we have war.”

“You wish to... spy for us?” Luxa’s voice was trembling a little, and for the first time she looked up at him.

“You know, Your Majesty, the lad is not wrong. He could be most useful as a spy. Further, I assume he is right when he claims to know the paths and the creatures both here and in the Dead Land better than any of you.” Ripred sounded calm.

“I do”, Henry agreed, “I am actually on good terms with almost all species who aren’t enemies to the humans by now. I can help you like this, if not in Regalia. Please. Let me act on my oath like you wish to act on yours.”

He saw she had given in already when she raised her voice. “And you will send for me, as you gather information?”

“I will. Or actually”, Henry glanced over at Ripred, who was casually gnawing on some fishbones, “maybe we will.” The rat glanced up. “Pardon me?” Henry grinned. “Oh come on, you don’t have anything else to do, do you? You’ll be most useful. Let’s be spies together, what do you say?”

Ripred glanced from Henry over to Luxa, to Gregor, and back to Henry. “Hmm... spy for the humans... with the lad”, he pondered, but Henry interrupted him – “You have done more boring things in your life, I am sure. Come on, don’t you want to get back at the Bane for almost killing you?”

One glance at Ripred and Henry saw his argument had not missed. The rat was sold. “Oh okay, fine. FINE. The lad, his flier, and me – embarking on a little road trip it is, then. Great.”

Before Henry could ask what a “road trip” was, Howard spoke. Luxa’s cousin had remained silent up until now, but to his surprise, he did not object to Henry’s plan – “He has a point, cousin, with how you belong in Regalia. As much as you dislike this, a queen’s place is not at the front line. You will have enough opportunity to prove your bravery and loyalty, I am certain – but not like this.”

“So, it is settled”, Henry glanced around, finally clapping his hands together. “We part ways here.”

“Not for long, I hope”, Luxa mumbled. He saw her hesitate for a second, but finally, she wrapped her arms around him briefly. “Fly you high, Death Rider. We are all in your debt – now more than ever.”

Henry sighed, as he watched the three bats take off at last, in the direction of Regalia, shouting his final “Fly you high!” with Ripred. “If only it was truly her who owed me – and not me who owed her”, he mumbled. Beside him, Ripred only chuckled. “Oh, lad, I believe your debt is long repaid.”


	14. Mission

* * *

“So, what’s the game plan, lad?”

As soon as Luxa, Gregor, and the rest of the questers had taken off towards Regalia, Henry had extinguished the fire Howard had lit with some dried-out vines.

In the dim light the jungle emitted, he turned around to Ripred. “It is what it is. We find the Bane – and we send note to Regalia of his plans and whereabouts.”

“That is all good and well”, Ripred was still audibly gnawing on his fishbone, “But how, dear lad, do you expect to find the Bane?”

Henry froze. He had not entirely thought his plan through, as he now realized. “I... eh...”, but before he could embarrass himself more, he heard Thanatos’ voice from behind – “For a start, we could try and trace the path of the rats who chased the nibblers into the crater. I am certain your keen nose can follow their scent, and their marks will surely lead us in the correct direction.” Henry shot his bond a grateful smile, happy he had recovered so much he could think proactively again.

The spine of the fish audibly cracked between Ripred’s teeth. “Sounds doable enough.” He spat out what had remained of the bones, “Well, what are we waiting for then, lad? Let’s not let our trail grow even colder.”

The following trek was arduous as they discovered they moved much faster if Thanatos carried Ripred, but even for the untiring flier Henry’s and Ripred’s combined weights were a significant burden. By the time they had reached the volcano, he was already visibly struggling but insisted they carried on immediately, in fear the poisonous gases would return if they lingered for too long.

Henry and Ripred rolled the boulder out of the way and the three pressed on, into the tunnel, and away from the volcano. Henry caught himself looking back, trying to spot the mice or Thalia, but couldn’t. All he saw at the bottom of the pit was freshly cooled lava, long cracks in the new stone still glowing from the inside.

Thanatos proceeded for another half an hour, then had to land. He was not in top-shape and visibly uncomfortable with his own weakness, even though Ripred claimed it was better if he ran anyway, as to make sure to not lose the scent trail.

With Ripred running along on the floor, they made better ground. Soon, the winding tunnel crossed into others, but the rat led the way confidently. “The ash from the volcano wasn’t blown into here, so their scent is clear. They have about a day’s head start, but we’ll surely catch up to them at their current base camp”, he replied when Henry asked how he was so certain as to where he was going.

Maybe four hours later they decided to take a break. Thanatos and Ripred were both tired and Henry volunteered to take watch, as he had napped on the flight.

“We can’t stay for too long”, Ripred yawned as he settled in a depression on the floor of a smaller side cave, which was hidden out of sight and cozier than the main tunnel. “No food, and no water.”

Henry looked around and for the first time realized, there wasn’t a river in sight. “I have water”, he turned to Thanatos, searching one of the saddlebags and fetching a water sack. “Uncharted lands taught me to always fill up the water sacks whenever I can. There you go”, he tossed it at Ripred, “just leave some for us others. I have another of these, but that’s all.”

His gaze fell on Thanatos again, who had, after Henry had fetched the water, immediately gone to hang from a nearby ledge. He was already soundly sleeping – he would drink tomorrow.

Ripred drank without hesitation and watched Henry as he reluctantly drew Mys, to stab at a beetle that scurried along the floor. The exiled prince ate it off the top of his dagger, the shell crunched between his teeth. He had never liked the Firebeetles, but what choice did he have now?

When Henry heard the rat chuckle, he turned around. “What?” Ripred stabbed one of the beetles with his own claw now, “Oh, nothing”, it disappeared in his mouth instantly. “Just, never thought I’d see the prince of Regalia eat bugs.”

Henry narrowed his eye at him before stabbing a second one. “Well, you’ll have to deal with it. And, I’m not the prince of Regalia anymore. That’s kind of how the whole exile-thing works. I’m used to it at this point.”

Ripred only laughed more and Henry rolled his eye. Then, a memory suddenly flashed in his mind and he looked up – “I mean, you did warn me back then. If only I had listened.” At Ripred’s confused face he smirked. “Like, look at me now – aren’t I exactly what you said I would end up as, if I did not take care? Stripped of all respectable rank and forced to warm my hide at the fire of people who would execute me, would they ever learn my true identity?”

It took Ripred a second to understand, but as soon as the memory of his own words, uttered all those years ago, returned, he broke into vigorous laughter. “Oh, oh lad – I can’t believe you remembered that one! That one, of all my words of wisdom – you kept yourself THAT one!”

Henry just shrugged, grinning. “It came true, after all. You never told me you also possess a prophetic gift, like my sister.” Ripred almost chocked on his Firebeetle. “Oh, because I did not know. Maybe I should consult her on it.”

Henry chuckled. “Do that.” He paused for a second, “Hey, you... you don’t happen to know how she is doing, do you?” Ripred slouched back, preparing to sleep. “No, haven’t seen her in a long time, but... If she’s anything like you, she’s fine.”

Henry grinned again. “True. I just...”, he sighed, before averting his gaze. He didn’t necessarily want to talk to Ripred about this, but he knew he would give a lot to be able to see her one last time.

“Oh, don’t get sentimental now”, Ripred sounded annoyed, but there was also something like a suppressed, unidentifiable undertone in his voice, “we can’t afford that. We have a mission.”

“True.” Henry sighed. “But spying on the Bane isn’t the only thing we can do.” He paused for a second, twisting Mys around in his hand. “Luxa was right, Regalia needs allies if there will be war. And we can seek them out and get them on our side after we discover the Bane’s plans.” He had given this some thought on the fly, and by now, Henry was sure of what he wanted – needed – to do next.

Ripred was silent, so he continued – “The stingers promised us friendship, we can alert them to our trouble. I’m on good terms with the crawlers and the flutterers as well, for what it’s worth. And for a couple buzzer wings, I am certain the spinners will help us too.”

Ripred chuckled, “You’ve been busy making friends then? With the very same species you wanted to erase from the face of this world, too, only two years ago, if my memory doesn’t fail me.” His tone was audibly mocking, but Henry ignored it, he wasn’t done yet – “And of course, Kismet.”

Ripred’s laughter immediately silenced at the name. Henry turned his way, he couldn’t make out his expression, but he suddenly felt the unease radiating from the rat, like he had never felt before. “Or... Whitespur. Whatever you want to call her.”

Ripred’s eyes shone yellow in the dark. “She... told you?”, he finally responded, after a long silence. Henry shrugged. “Yes.”

Ripred was still not moving, “What did she –”, but the exiled prince interrupted him – “Everything, Ripred. She told me everything.” He thought the scarred rat deserved to know. “About Whitespur, about Gorger, about you, about the garden – and Nox and Lumen.” He smiled sadly, “But isn’t that one of the reasons why you sent me to her? Because our stories match?”

Ripred’s silence answered his question. “What... what happened?”, he finally spoke up, after lying still for a while. “What do you mean?”, Henry asked, but Ripred shook his head. “She would not talk about her past so openly without reason. What happened, Henry?”

The exiled prince raised his head, surprised to hear his name from the rat’s mouth. He had gotten so used to “lad” it was strange to hear Ripred call him anything else. But when he saw the expression in the rat’s face, he sighed – and started talking. About the volcano, how he and Thanatos had saved Kismet against her will, and how she had revealed everything to them later. Then how they had taken her to the nibbler colony and found it deserted, and how she had insisted on staying there.

“She said to find her at the citadel, should we ever need her”, Henry concluded his story at last. “And that’s where I’ll find her. She can help us.”

Ripred was silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was bitter. “And why should she, lad? Help the humans? You know now what they did to her. She will not fight at their side.”

But Henry shook his head. “She does not hold it against them. Not against the species, at least. She said she hates the type of person, not the species, as that would be narrow-minded.” He looked up at Ripred, “She will help us, me, I know it.” He bit his lip, “Look, she doesn’t have too many... reasons, purposes, anymore. Fighting for a cause... maybe it’ll help her.”

Ripred closed his eyes. “Fine. Ask her, if you like.” But Henry shook his head. “Not me. Us.”

The rat jerked up, his yellow eyes glowing with rejection. “I will not go and crawl back to her, I doubt she would want to see me even, let alone fight at my side, for my cause. Did you not listen to your own words? She LEFT me. And that was the end of that story.”

Never had Henry heard Ripred so bitter, he sounded almost angry. But the exiled prince then and there decided to remain determined. “No. You’re wrong.” The rat scoffed, but Henry continued – “Stop being stubborn, just this once. You may not believe she wants to see you – but I do. I’ve lived with her for seven months, you haven’t seen her in, what, twelve years. I believe, between the two of us, I’m a better judge of what she wants and what she does not.”

That shut even Ripred up, so Henry continued – “She has lost everything, she thinks there is not a person left who cares for her.” The rat interrupted, “Oh, and what about you?” Henry blinked a couple times, surprised, and hesitated. “I’m... I’m not... I’m her student. It’s not the same.” Ripred had already opened his mouth to protest when Henry simply stated “I’m not you.”

The scarred rat remained silent for a long time, so long Henry already started to think he had fallen asleep when he finally spoke again – “Lad?” – “Hm?”, Henry turned towards him and was surprised to find something like regret in his gaze. “I’ll... consider it.”

“Down there. I can smell them. Him. The Bane.” Ripred was staring down into an almost vertical tunnel. It was roughly a day’s trek from where they had camped last night, and Ripred had assured them that was where their trail led.

Thanatos and Henry followed his gaze. “That is... an entrance to the ice caves”, the flier remarked, and the exiled prince heard worry in his voice. “Why would the Bane be down there?”

“Ice caves? The hell is that again?” As Henry proceeded to answer Ripred’s question, they watched a patrol of three rats start their descent down, using a narrow path that led alongside the nigh-vertical wall.

“A cave system below the waterway, made of ice? Where in the world have you NOT been yet, lad?” Ripred sounded fairly carefree, but his gaze was stern. Henry thought about how he still owed him an answer, regarding Kismet, but he decided to leave the topic alone for a while. Instead, he focused on the rats.

“Hey, how about this, instead of going down there ourselves, we kidnap one of them and ask him a couple questions regarding what the Bane is doing?”, he suddenly suggested, without taking his gaze off the patrol.

Ripred and Thanatos both looked at him in surprise. “That is even a half-decent plan, lad. When have you learned to use your head?” Henry chuckled, “Oh, you live and you learn. Especially when there is nobody around to use their heads for you.”

Ripred growled a little. “You have to stop this, you know?” At Henry’s confused gaze, he continued – “Reminding me so much of myself when I was your age. It’s unsettling.” Henry just chuckled. “You wish.”

“Hey, you two!” Both their heads jolted in Thanatos’ direction as the flier spoke, “banter all you want later, but decide now, before they disappear – do we take one of them or do we wait for the next patrol?”

Henry and Ripred exchanged glances. “Why wait?”, the exiled prince shrugged and turned to his flier. “Can you pick one of them up from the air?”

Ripred and Henry remained cowering on the ledge above the tunnel and watched Thanatos descend down, he flew as close to the wall as he could, luckily, the tunnel was fairly large, and the rats were concentrated on not falling, so they did not notice.

When he focused, Henry could make out their faint voices, complaining how steep and narrow the ledge was – then Thanatos struck. Like a black lightning bolt, he jolted forward, firmly closing his claws around the arms of the last rat in the column. It screeched but couldn’t reach the flier with its talons, one of its companions jumped after Thanatos but the flier was too fast. He gained altitude immediately and the rats cursed audibly, but when they almost fell down the tunnel they apparently deemed the rescue of their companion too risky and gave up.

What great friends the rats were, Henry thought, as he watched Thanatos circle around their heads, with the rat he had grabbed still in his claws. He let him go maybe twenty feet above ground and the rat screeched as he fell.

He hit the floor with a thud, and before he could shake his daze, Henry and Ripred were already above him, sword and claws bared. “Hey, hey, HEY! What the hell are you doing – who ARE YOU!”, he cried, trying to scurry away, but Thanatos landed behind him and he shrieked as he almost bumped into the flier with the bared teeth.

“That does not concern you”, Ripred growled, and Henry picked up – “Exactly. Besides – WE ask the questions here.”

“Dammit – I can not believe he is doing this, and here I thought I buried that threat together with Longclaw’s followers... SHIT!” Ripred watched Henry pacing around the little cave they had found refuge in, and while he was better at hiding it, he was as concerned as the exiled prince.

“Digging a way to the waterway through the ice and having the water flood Regalia’s canalization... that sounds like a fantastic plan – yes, bad for us, but FANTASTIC. Sounds like Longclaw, alright”, Ripred remarked and Henry just scoffed.

The rat continued eyeing him curiously now. “You say you prevented Longclaw from executing it back then?” The exiled prince nodded, and Ripred let out a short whistle. “Now that is another little something those great Regalians don’t know about you. Saved their city, all by yourself. You were really working on making it up to them, weren’t you?”

But Henry disregarded his words. “What does that matter now?” He stared out at the corpse of their information source. Ripred had slit his throat after he had told them everything he knew – they had agreed they couldn’t risk sending him back and alerting the Bane to their presence. “We can’t just do what I did back then, that was an accident!”

Ripred nodded. “You need to write a message to your friends. Tell them to close off the canalization, and if that means they have to live off river water for a couple days it’ll be worth it.”

Henry nodded. “They have to shut the canalization. There is no other way. But we also need the army here, maybe if we attack before they do, we can catch them off-guard.”

He sighed before finally plopping down next to Thanatos, who had been almost motionlessly lying in a corner. “Dammit, why did that asshole Bonebreak have to immediately go and pledge himself to the Bane.”

He had recalled the name instantly upon hearing it from the captured rat’s mouth – the big black rat who had caught Thanatos the day after Henry’s own fall, and the last remaining former general of Gorger’s, well, if you disregarded Kismet.

The rat had talked almost willingly – _this guy, Bonebreak, some former general of Gorgers, came to see the Bane a few days ago. They talked, I really don’t know what about, but it must have been important, because, after that conversation, Bane made Bonebreak his own general. And he started making us dig this tunnel. Half of us don’t even know why we are doing this, but we do it anyway, I guess. All hail the Bane and all._

Ripred chuckled. “Oh well, he supported Gorger, so he supports the Bane. Maybe working for borderline insane rulers is his thing, I guess. Nothing we can do about it.”

Henry sighed frustratedly. “How did Bonebreak even find out about Longclaw’s plan? I thought they were some sort of rivals?” Ripred pondered, “Hmm... you actually have a point there. Maybe after Longclaw’s death, some of his followers went to serve Bonebreak, and told him? I really don’t know, but this is the only semi-reasonable theory I can come up with.”

Henry shook his head. “Nevermind that. We have to write a message to Luxa. Now.” He turned to fetch his notebook from his backpack, ripped out a page, and scribbled down a few sentences, explaining what they had discovered.

“Should we go meet them in person?”, he asked finally, staring down at his letter. Ripred shrugged. “Might be better to explain everything face to face.” Henry nodded. “I’ll suggest a meeting then – wait, how long will this message need to reach Regalia? How do we even get it there?”

Ripred pondered. “Well, I know a couple of the fliers who work as scouts for the humans, I can get the message to them. It won’t take longer than a day to reach the city. I’ll instruct the scout to hand the message to the queen, and only her, too. We do not want it to fall into the wrong hands now, do we?”

Henry nodded, before suddenly frowning and raising his gaze – “Wait – you? You know Regalian scouts? How did that happen? I thought Vikus and Solovet were the only ones who knew about you being a friend to the humans.”

Ripred chuckled. “Oh, word gets around. Not all of them know me, but you can’t really be supporting Regalia for as long as I have without some of the scouts inevitably noticing. Just trust me on that one.”

Henry finally nodded, even though he was still curious. “Okay, so, that’s a good plan. But... what if it does? Fall into the wrong hands, I mean.” He twirled his pen around nervously. “I can’t just sign “Death Rider”, what if someone else finds it? Like... Solovet, or the council? They will never hand it to Luxa if they find out it comes from an outcast!”

Ripred pondered, “Well, Solovet has been out of commission ever since they found out she was responsible for the plague – as I’ve... heard, but I get what you mean.”

Henry had just opened his mouth to complain when Thanatos suddenly nudged him in the side. “Sign the scythe.” The exiled prince looked up, confused. “The – what?” Only moments later the memory returned and his eye widened – “The... the mark! The modified scythe! The one we wanted to use as our personal sign – I nearly forgot!”

Thanatos just growled approvingly, and while Henry quickly added a request for a meeting in two days, and signed the scythe with the horizontal line through the handle, the flier explained the sign’s origin story to Ripred. “Heh, that’s fitting. The Death Rider adapts the scythe as his symbol. Luxa will recognize it for sure.” He chuckled, already getting up and stretching, in preparation for his imminent trip to seek out a scout. “So, where are you meeting her?”

Henry glanced over his note once more, before rolling it up and fastening it together with one of the leather stripes he usually used to tie his hair. “By the Spout, it lies right outside a secret tunnel which leads out of the Regalian palace. Luxa will have an easier time sneaking out through that then the main entrance.”

“Sounds... well-thought-through enough. I’ll be there too, probably. If I can find the time.”, Ripred snarled and fastened the belt with the pocket to carry the scroll in, Henry had given him, around his upper body. “Can’t believe I’m actually playing the messenger here”, he mumbled, but the exiled prince ignored him.

His eye followed Ripred outside the cave and into the darkness until even his echolocation couldn’t pick up the steps of the rat anymore. “Run like the river, Ripred”, he whispered, at last, sending all his good wishes with the rat. The fate of Regalia rested on his shoulders now.

“You should rest now, before we begin our own trip to the Spout, in a few hours.” Henry hadn’t seen or sensed Thanatos until he had spoken, so deep in thought he was. “Hey, get some sleep, will you? I can – hey, Henry, what is the matter?” The exiled prince bit his lip but continued to stare out into the darkness. “I know you are worried about your friends, but you can not do more then you are doing now. They will be alright.”

Henry sighed, not knowing if he should be happy or distressed about how in this particular case, the flier hadn’t read his mind. “It’s not that”, he finally spoke, dangling his feet from the little ledge at the entrance of the cave.

Maybe two hours had passed since Ripred had left, and the two of them had decided to remain in the cave for a little longer, to properly rest and eat, as there was a river nearby. Henry had volunteered to take watch, even if he was tired, but his thoughts were too restless to let him sleep.

“Hm? What is bothering you?” Henry felt Thanatos beside him and sighed. “Selfish things”, he mumbled at last. “Selfish and stupid things.”

Thanatos took a deep breath. “You aren’t still worried about them finding out who you are, are you?” When his bond didn’t reply, he shook his head, “Henry, you JUST went on a week-long quest with them, and nothing happened. Yes, Gregor found out, but he is fine with it! None of your fears were confirmed. And this isn’t even another quest, it’s just a meeting. Would you at last stop worrying so much and enjoy the kindness and very apparent liking they have all taken to you for once?”

Henry bit his lip. “But that is the point. It’s not... for me.” Thanatos didn’t reply immediately, and the exiled prince let out a frustrated sigh. He felt drained and exhausted from what had happened, from what they had witnessed, and vastly unprepared for what was to come. He thought nothing would be greater than to just stick his head under a rock and wait until everything was over, but he couldn’t afford to.

What happened to “standing by passively goes against my nature”, he thought suddenly, and bit his lip in shame.

“I... I want to enjoy it. Believe me, I do. I tried, you know? Tried keeping myself in that bubble where everything was alright, and they all showed their kindness to me – the true me. Henry. But they do not.”

He felt his fist clench. None of this was good. Too much time by himself, too much time to process all that had happened, to think about it, all of it had only led to one possible realization – one that hurt more than Henry wanted to admit.

But now he could not stop anymore – all the thoughts he had suppressed this entire time now poured from his mouth without restraint. “I am not... me, around them. And it is not me who they care for. Not really. It is this stupid persona I have created in this desperate attempt to, to reinvent myself. The... Death Rider.” Henry felt his voice drip with spite as he uttered the title.

“Henry”, Thanatos finally spoke, the worry in his voice imminent. “You are the Death Rider. They don’t know that, sure, but you speak of him as if he was different from you.”

“Because he is!”, Henry cried, “I am... I...”, he hesitated, “I... I don’t even know who I am anymore. I have so many names, so many identities, and every single one feels so fake. I thought all I needed to do in order to stop hating myself was to create a new me, someone I could like, could be proud of. I strived to do nothing but, ever since I went into exile. Yet as much as I want to... to BE the Death Rider, and him alone”, he squinted his eye in an attempt to keep the tears in, “I can never... escape that other me. The coward, the fool, the... traitor.” Kismet’s words flashed in his mind – _you can change who you are... but never run from yourself._

He felt Thanatos press into his side now. “You... hey, nobody says you have to... escape yourself. You’ll always be you, no matter how much you change. But that’s not a bad thing by any means.”

“What are you talking about – it’s not a bad thing?”, Henry called, “It is, because... because... all this stupid quest reminded me of”, he frustratedly hit his fist on the wall, “was how delusional I’d be to believe they all give a single shit about me. They gush over the heroic Death Rider – Henry, they would not regard with a single kind word.” He bit his lip, without taking his gaze off the dark cave before him, “Why can’t that stupid old part of me just DIE?! Nobody likes him! Nobody wants him! Least... me myself.”

He felt Thanatos noticeably wince at his words. “No, you can’t talk like that”, the flier spoke, “never talk like that, you hear?”

But Henry disregarded him. “You once said I can change as much as I want to change – but I can’t! Because if I could, I would actually be the Death Rider. And only him.”

Thanatos remained silent for a while. Henry’s words had shaken him deeply, he had had a feeling the boy had trouble recognizing himself among everything he was and had to be now but never had he thought he would still... so vigorously hate a part of himself.

Can he not see he is not the parts, but the whole – the flier thought and tried to find a way to communicate that to the boy. He felt Henry’s unease and fear radiate from his body and wished he could find a way to give him hope, like the boy had done so many times for the flier.

He forced himself to remember his own breakdown in the cave, after the death of the nibblers, and to which great lengths Henry had gone to snap him out. The memory hurt, as did any thought of anything regarding the nibblers, but he had to be strong now. One of them always had to be.

“If what you say is true”, Thanatos finally spoke, disrupting the almost deafening silence at last, “if nobody likes the... old you, then answer me this – who was the boy I bonded to?”

Henry’s head jolted around to him, he had been unprepared for this question. All he did was stare at the flier in confusion, and Thanatos continued – “Was it the heroic Death Rider? The great outcast warrior?”

Henry still remained silent and Thanatos sighed – “If you will not answer, I will for you – it was not. You didn’t even know you were the Death Rider back then. You had just lost your eye in a crazy attempt at fighting a dozen serpents single-handedly. If you ask me, that sounds more like the confused, foolish teenage boy you hate so much, then the glorious Death Rider. Or am I wrong?”

Henry continued to stare at him, his gaze undefined but Thanatos thought he saw a tear in his eye. “Henry, you’re not who you were back then anymore, sure. But if you believe everything about that old you is bad, you are utterly wrong. I did not bond to you because you were strong or successful or a great hero – and it may not be much, but even if you hadn’t become all that by now, I’d still be at your side. Because you are you. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“B... but I –” Henry was barely ever speechless, but now all words escaped him. “You...”, he tried to find something to respond to that, but his mind was wiped blank. “Don’t”, Thanatos interrupted, “just... shut your mouth, okay? And I don’t want to catch you talk like that again, you hear? You may think you have to hate the old you, but remember that was the you I bonded to, so... just shut up, okay?”

Henry swallowed, before finally lying down, his head on Thanatos’ back. “Okay.”

The flier eased up instantly. “You... you told me I wasn’t alone when I needed to hear it, and I’ll say it back now, got it? It may not be worth much, but no matter what everyone else thinks or says about you – whichever you we are talking about, and whether your identity is ever revealed, and however the others will treat you afterward – I’ll always love you for all of you. Except, of course, the dumb part who hates himself, but that’s not the point right now.”

Henry felt his chest tighten with eternal gratitude and promised himself once more he would never again let any of the two of them threaten the strength or validity of their bond. “It’s worth everything”, he finally replied, and it was more than enough.

Whatever the future would hold, if the others would find out, if they would hate him afterward or not – he now realized he didn’t need to let himself be defined by the opinion of his old friends.

With confidence and something like pride he suddenly realized he was not scared anymore. His home was not with them – it was out here, with Thanatos. And as long as they had each other, he realized he could confidently say the rest of the world could hate him – he would not give a single shit.


	15. Mistake

A day had passed. A single day, since they had arrived back in Regalia. Luxa had immediately been placed under arrest, they had guards at her doors at all times now. Gregor understood why, to a degree. He was even somewhat glad they worried for her safety so much.

He realized he was kneading the piece of paper that had the letter from Mrs. Cormaci on it, and angrily tossed it to the side. He was back here, out of immediate danger, out of the uncertainty a quest always brought with itself, yet his own thought suddenly came to mind – _maybe taking the long way back wasn’t such a bad idea after all._

It was almost like he was back in the real world now, unable to hide or run away from the real problems by going on weird trips. Like his mother being sick again – he tried not to picture her pale face, and the doctor’s words, about how she was too sick to travel. To go home.

He honestly considered whether sending her to the Fount wouldn’t be reasonable enough. She was safer there, and it was nice – well, in times of peace, it was. Would the rats really come and attack Regalia soon?

Gregor sighed, standing up from where he had been sitting, on a chair in the corner of the nursery. Dulcet had just taken Boots to the bathroom, and he saw she had dropped her toy scepter. Gregor quickly scooped it up and twirled it around. Maybe he should send Boots to the Fount as well. Then again – his mother was too sick to watch her, and in that case, who else would, if not him?

 _Don’t let yourself get killed, or you’ll have an awful lot of explaining to do._ The words, written by Mrs. Cormaci, rang in his ears suddenly – get killed. If he got killed, there would be nobody to watch Boots either. _When the warrior has been killed._ Why did the hesitation and fear everyone seemed to have had, to show him the Prophecy of Time, had to be justified? Why did this stupid prophecy even –

Gregor just reached down to pick Mrs. Cormaci’s letter back up when Dulcet stepped through the curtain, with Boots in her arms. He turned to greet her and give Boots her scepter back when he noticed the look on her face.

“Hey, what happened?” Gregor approached her, and his sister immediately stretched her arm out to grab the scepter. “I bath!”

Dulcet sat her down on the floor and turned back to Gregor. “I encountered the queen on my way here. She called for you. She... talked of a message she had received.”

Gregor furrowed his brows. “Was it bad news? And why would she want to see me about that?” This did not explain Dulcet’s worried face. The nanny sighed. “I don’t think she had read it yet, by the time I saw her. But –”, she hesitated, “But do not allow her to get herself in any danger again, please. I know you care for her, but so do we all.”

Gregor swallowed. Was the message from Henry? And if – what did that mean for him? For Luxa? Was this a promise he could make? He finally nodded, and Dulcet looked contented. “Then go. I will care for your sister while you are away.”

Gregor nodded gratefully, and almost bumped into Hazard and two other kids his age, who stormed past him into the nursery, as he stepped through the curtain. He threw them a quick glance, happy the boy had at least somewhat regained his spirit after Thalia’s death, even if his lively green eyes were still misted with sadness at times.

On his way to Luxa’s quarters, he contemplated what this ominous message was, if it was word from Henry after all. In front of her door, he almost collapsed with Howard, who had apparently been called too. Gregor eyed him for a second and noticed how strained he looked. Howard was working full-time at the hospital now, and he hadn’t gotten much rest ever since they had come back.

“Did she call you too?”, Luxa’s cousin asked, and Gregor nodded. “Must be some message.” Together they approached the guards outside of Luxa’s quarters, and after exchanging a glance, the two armed men let Howard and Gregor pass.

Howard led the way confidently through Luxa’s living room, and Gregor asked himself where she was, why she wasn’t here, when they reached her bedroom and he finally saw her.

Luxa was sitting on her bed, with her legs pulled on, in what Gregor presumed was her nightgown. Her hair was disheveled and she wasn’t facing their way. “Hey, you called us!”, he exclaimed and approached, circling around the bed. Slightly uncomfortable, being in a girl’s bedroom, he made sure not to touch anything, when he suddenly stepped on something.

He frowned and bowed down to pick up a piece of paper. When he inspected it he instantly saw the sign – the scythe with the horizontal line. So it was word from Henry.

“It’s the Death Rider, he sent us a message, like he promised”, he remarked in Howard’s direction, but Luxa’s cousin wasn’t where he had been when Gregor had last looked. He now sat at Luxa’s side, and as soon as he took his first good look at her, he realized why.

Luxa wasn’t looking at them. Her hair hung in her face and she had her knees pulled on. Her expression was like that of a statue, motionless, and her skin was so pale it looked almost translucent. All her gaze was fixated on was... the piece of paper.

“Hey, what happened?” It was all Gregor could say. He slowly approached her, dared not to sit on the bed though. He instinctively flattened out the piece of paper, had something horrible happened?

“Hey, let me see, will you?” Howard reached out his hand, and Gregor turned his way, before finally sitting down on Luxa’s bed carefully. Howard glanced over his shoulder as they read together –

_I wish I could report good news, but I’m afraid you are all in danger. The Bane knows we have war, and he is not sitting idle. He is digging his way through the ice below the waterway, to flood your canalization system. You have to convince the council to seal it off – and get the army here as soon as you can, maybe we can catch them before they catch us._

_Meet me the day after you receive this message, at the Spout, near the exit of the turtle-tunnel, for details._

Gregor’s head was spinning as he tried to process what he had just read. Canalization? The Bane wanted to flood their – “Hey!” Howard’s voice made him jump a little. When he looked over to Luxa’s cousin, he saw worry, but there was also... confusion. “What by all that is good and well is the “turtle-tunnel”?”

Gregor instantly froze up. His gaze went back to the hastily scribbled lines automatically and fixated the words... “turtle-tunnel”.

 _Henry knew a way –_ Ares’ words, he had uttered not even that long ago, though it felt like it had been forever, rang in his ears. Luxa’s story, the turtle – _The kids avoided it. Except for Henry, who rode on its back and made up fearsome tales about it. And one day, while the others napped, he found the_ _courage to –_

“Gregor, do you know what this means? Is it a code?” Howard sounded as confused as ever, and suddenly the expression on Luxa’s face made terrible sense. _He showed me this when I was eight. It was our special secret, Henry and I._ Henry and her...

“Hey, can anyone tell me what –” But before Howard could finish his sentence, Luxa interrupted him. She turned to Gregor. “Did you tell him?”

He had barely ever seen her eyes so pleading, she visibly clung to this last bit of hope like a lifebelt. This is not good, Gregor thought. Her expression revealed she had long guessed he hadn’t, that Henry was...

He contemplated telling her he did tell him, just to make the desperate expression go away, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie more. He had kept Henry’s secret, but all of a sudden a terrible wave of guilt inundated him – she deserved to know.

“No.” Gregor couldn’t look her in the eyes as he shook his head. The last bit of color faded from Luxa’s face as she lowered her gaze. “I see.”

Howard had just inhaled to ask once more what was going on, as Gregor assumed, when Luxa addressed him. “Howard, you need to alert Vikus to this. Show him the message, tell him we can trust –”, she interrupted herself and visibly swallowed, Gregor saw her fighting to finish the sentence, but Howard had understood already. “I will. If you tell me what this “turtle-tunnel” is later.”

Luxa only nodded and Howard took the letter from Gregor before disappearing out of the room, leaving the two kids to themselves. Gregor looked at her and suddenly wished someone else was here. Aurora or Ares, or even Vikus. Someone better suited to – “You knew.”

It wasn’t a question, not with how she was staring at him now. Gregor swallowed. “I...” He couldn’t bring himself to lie, neither to tell the truth. But apparently, his silence spoke for itself.

Luxa suddenly sprung to her feet. “Leave!”, she called, storming over to her closet. “But I – wait, are we meeting him or not?”

“I said LEAVE!”, she screamed now, and Gregor dared not ask more. He realized he was uncomfortably biting his lip as he walked towards the exit, throwing glances back after almost every step.

What would she do now? His head was spinning, they could really not use any more problems now, he thought, and anger at Henry suddenly rose in him. Why the hell did he write about the turtle-tunnel? He knew perfectly well nobody except for Luxa and himself were supposed to know... Did he not?

Henry watched the flat pebble. It hit the Spout’s smooth surface once, twice, three times – before it could jump again, it sank. He sighed and picked up another stone. “This is nothing. My record is six, you know?” Thanatos only hummed, as he hung from a spot close by and watched his bond throwing pebbles.

“Six? That’s child’s play, I got eight once.” Henry grinned, without turning around. This time, he had sensed the rat before he had spoken. “Hey, you made it – awesome. Eight, you say? Then prove it.” Ripred slipped out of the shadow of a nearby tunnel entrance and grinned. “With pleasure.”

“Hey, now that you are here”, Thanatos let himself fall to the floor suddenly and landed before Henry and Ripred. “I’ll scout the area a bit. You can never be too careful. I won’t run into an ambush again.” With that, he rose and quickly gained altitude, before disappearing out of sight.

Henry asked himself if he was talking about what had happened with Cevian, but Ripred interrupted his thoughts. “So, six, hm? I can easily beat that. Let me just –” He bowed down, but before he could pick his first stone, his head jerked up.

Henry instantly focused his hearing and he also made out the faint fluttering of wings now. Thanatos had just left, so it couldn’t be him, and then he realized it was two bats, not one.

“Hey, over here!”, he called, as he made out the shapes of Ares and Aurora, dipping out of a nearby tunnel, only to circle around a barely visible hole in the ceiling. Henry watched, with a smile, how three figures dropped down, one after the other. After the fliers had caught them, they followed his call and landed on the beach, next to Ripred and Henry.

“Hey, you got my message – great, but I’m afraid –” Only after taking a step towards them, Henry suddenly saw the frozen expression on Luxa’s face. She had not mounted down and was noticeably avoiding his gaze. That of Gregor too, as he saw now. “Hey, is something the matter?”

Gregor looked at him, then at Luxa, and back. He bit his lip before mounting down and carefully approaching. Howard, who had been the third person, did the same. Only Luxa remained motionless.

“We... we got your message.” Gregor was still looking back and forth between Henry and Luxa. The exiled prince gave him an uncertain smile. “Good. But... what’s going on here? Luxa, did something happen?”

He took a step towards her and blinked in surprise as she seemed to wince back. “Uhm, she –”, Gregor spoke up, but before he could finish, Luxa interrupted him.

She finally slid off Aurora’s back but remained close to her, still avoiding his gaze. Henry now saw she was clenching her jaw. “This tunnel...” Her voice was so faint he barely made it out, “... do you know who discovered it? Who told me about it?”

Henry furrowed his brows in confusion for a second before a terrible realization hit him like a blow to the face. The tunnel – he swallowed, his mouth stood agape, his mind trying to process... had he just...?

Luxa did not wait for a response. “It... it was our secret...”, she whispered, barely audible. Henry realized his head was spinning. What... what had he done?

“Do you know who I am talking about?” Luxa’s voice was quiet, yet to Henry, it was the only sound in the room. He registered not Howard’s confusion, nor Gregor’s worry, nor Ripred, who was probably in the process of piecing it all together – all he saw was her face, turned away from him almost forcefully.

“His name... his name was... was Henry.” He saw the strain in her face, how hard it was to say that name... his name. “Do... do you know where he is now?”

Henry stared at her and suddenly fully and truly realized it was all over. Once and for all. “I do.” His voice was as quiet as hers. “Oh?” Luxa was biting her lip. Then, slowly, she finally raised her gaze to look at him for the first time. “He is dead.”

The silence following her words was deafening. Henry felt it suffocating him, until suddenly a loud snort disrupted it, followed by a second one, and then howling laughter filled the cave, echoing from the water and the walls around them.

All heads jolted in Ripred’s direction, who had let himself fall on his back, and was holding his stomach in laughter, pointing back and forth between Henry and Luxa. “Y– you... YOU! Ha – you did NOT JUST... oh goodness this is glorious!” He was silenced by another laughing fit, before continuing, moments later – “LAD JUST BLEW HIS OWN COVER like that ohh this is TOO GREAT, ohh I CAN’T!”

“C... cover? What is he talking about?” Howard stepped forward now, eyeing Henry suspiciously. Luxa stood like frozen in place, Aurora was shielding her now.

“Bo... la... eh... HOWARD.” Ripred was still giggling but had himself under control so much he could speak. “Do you not pay attention to what is happening around you at all? It’s funny enough you all did not recognize the lad after even growing up with him, but come on!”

Howard frowned more, then looked back at Henry. He stared intensely at him, as if trying to see what everyone else was seeing – at this point, the exiled prince was unable to move. He simply stared back at Howard, trying to brace himself for the unavoidable.

For a second, Howard remained clueless, but then Henry saw the flash of recognition, followed by a sharp inhale. He instantly stepped before Luxa protectively, Henry saw him reach for the handle of his sword. “Y... YOU!” Howard’s face was nothing but rejection, and yet a tiny bit of disbelief remained. “B... but you are – you are...”, he stammered and continued to stare as if he could not believe his own eyes.

He knew he had to say something – to these people, to Howard with his hand on his sword, to Gregor, uncomfortably biting his lip, to Ares who was staring at the floor – and Luxa and Aurora, both notably avoiding his gaze, huddled together. And then Ripred, who –

“What is going on here?” Everyone jolted back when the black figure of Thanatos suddenly landed amidst the group, they all stared at him in shock for a moment, like they had not realized he had been gone all this time.

The black flier looked back and forth between the mortified face of his bond, the frozen expression of Luxa, and Howard with his hand still on his sword – and when he looked back at Ripred for confirmation, the rat nodded. Thanatos didn’t need more – he instantly jumped in front of Henry, spreading his wings threateningly – almost like back on the waterway, when the questers had first encountered him as the Death Rider.

Henry stumbled back in surprise and almost fell, while Luxa, Howard, and Gregor winced back in shock. “Stay away from him!”, Thanatos called, angrily hissing at Howard, who retreated another couple inches, before collecting himself and straightening his back – “I am not planning on... wait, do you even know who your bond is?”

It was like a wire snapped in Thanatos brain and he let out a second angry hiss, digging his claws into the floor – “Better than YOU, I do!”, he screamed, his gaze switching between Howard and Luxa.

“Death, don’t –”, Henry carefully spoke, the flier heard the strain in his voice, but he ignored him. He only saw Howard’s hand on his sword, he would not let him harm the boy. He would not let anyone harm the boy. “IF ANYONE DRAWS A WEAPON THEY DIE!” His voice echoed through the large cave and everyone jolted back.

He suddenly felt Henry gripping his saddle, “Death, stop it! Please, stop!” The audible pain in the boy’s voice finally snapped him out of his rage and he drew his wings in a little, without taking his eyes off Howard though.

Henry was focused on holding onto Thanatos, he didn’t need to restrain him anymore, but he needed to hold onto something to keep himself standing. His head was spinning and he was still trying to process what had just happened when a call suddenly disrupted the dangerously loaded atmosphere – “GUYS! Settle YOURSELVES!”

All heads jolted to Ripred, who was standing again. He had apparently gotten over his laughing fit and was now eyeing them all with a mix of disdain and amusement. “Guys”, he repeated, Henry thought he heard a sigh escape his mouth. “Now that all the secrets have been revealed, finally, can we please get back to the ACTUAL THREAT we are here to settle?”

Everyone stared at him in confusion for a moment, as if they had forgotten about the Bane and the war entirely. “Threat?”, Howard finally asked, still eyeing Henry. “Yes. THREAT”, Ripred sighed louder now. “The Bane? The ice caves? Your canalization? ANYTHING?”

For the first time, Luxa’s head jolted up. She stared at Ripred for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Aurora. Gregor and Henry, she disregarded entirely. A few moments of weirdly confused silence passed, before she, at last, spoke – “I will go.”

All eyes were on her immediately, and before Henry could speak, Howard beat him to it. “You will do no such thing, cousin!” Yet Luxa spared him not a single glance. She carefully took a step forward, her entire body visibly tensed up, towards Ripred. “I will go”, she repeated, fixating the rat, “you said you needed the army in those ice caves. Well, I will go, and they will send the army after me. They will drive the Bane out, and the city will be safe.”

Henry stared at her, mouth slightly agape. That was a better plan than he had expected. “Cousin, you can not go out there again!”, Howard called, and Luxa twirled around to him. “You have no place to command me – COUSIN. I will go because I am the only one they will send the army for. Or can you guarantee they will do so for you? Or perhaps the Overlander over there?” Gregor notably winced and Howard clenched his jaw frustratedly. “Then I will come with you.”

“I do not NEED YOUR HELP!” Luxa’s scream was almost desperate, Henry saw she was clenching her fist now. “You have NO PLACE OUT HERE, Howard. You will go back, and you will stay back! ALL OF YOU WILL!” Her expression was furious like Henry never remembered seeing before. “So are MY ORDERS AS QUEEN!”

She had already turned from them, signaling Aurora to come, when Henry suddenly heard himself speak up – “Wait!”

Luxa instantly froze as she heard his voice, it was like she had turned to stone where she stood. Henry finally let go of Thanatos and took a careful step towards her, trying to suppress his own shaking. “Stay back!”, Howard called, but Henry brushed his arm, that he had stretched out to stop him, aside.

“I know you think you have to do this alone.” He did not know where he found the strength to speak, but now that he had started, he couldn’t stop anymore. He circled around her until he was standing in front of her. Luxa was staring to the side, visibly trying to not look at him. “You made an oath.”

She did not react, so he kept speaking. “You made an oath to the nibblers. The Vow to the Dead.” Henry noticed her jaw was so clenched it trembled. “But so did I.”

Her head jolted around now, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, it was like she was staring through him, the bright purple of her eyes was misted and dark now.

“You need someone to show you the way, Luxa. Or how do you expect to find the Bane?” He kept talking. So badly he wanted to grip her shoulders, to hug her, to assure her he would always be by her side and protect her, no matter if she wanted his company or not, but he couldn’t. Not when she was looking at – through – him like this.

A few moments of silence passed before she forcefully took a deep breath. “You – I can not deny you this, not if I wanted to. And you”, she hesitated, her eyes fluttered up for a second, to glance at his face, “You were always a valued ally, Death Rider.”

“Luxa, what are you doing?!”, Howard called, in an instant he was at her side, dragging her away from Henry. “He is – that is...” – “The Death Rider, Howard. I know. Who else would he be?”

Her cousin blinked in confusion, looking back and forth between Henry and Luxa. “But – no.” He took a deep breath, “no, I will not let you go alone with... him. You can hate me for it if you want, but I am coming with you. Period.”

“Howard is right.” All gazes darted over to Gregor. He had watched the scene silently so far, but Henry saw the grim determination in his gaze as he stepped forward now, and inevitably asked himself how much he must care for Luxa to do this. “Howard will come, and so will I. We.” His gaze darted over to Ares for a second. Then it landed on Henry. “We all go.”

Luxa already opened her mouth to protest, but Gregor beat her to it. “Will you stop fighting us already? I –”, he bit his lip for a moment, but forced himself to proceed, “we will all be safer if we remain together. We all.” He glanced at Henry again, “we are a team. We’ve proven that on the quest to save the mice, and before that. Never break up a winning team... or something like that. You can order all you want, but I’m not your subject, Luxa, and IF you guys are already going to make me fight your war, I want to at least do it at your side!”

All was silent at his outbreak, Henry had to quietly applaud Gregor for his courage at this moment. The Overlander barely ever snapped, but when he did, it was almost scary.

All Luxa did was stare at him for a second, then she shrugged. “You are right. You are not my subject, you do not... live here. So do what you please. I will go, what you do, is up to you.” With that, she mounted Aurora and they lifted off, dipping into a tunnel that led away from the cave with the Spout.

Gregor hurried to Ares instantly, but the black bat hesitated. “Wait – how will the army know where to find us? We need to leave them some sort of message!” Henry exchanged a glance with Thanatos, they had to act quickly. “You go ahead”, he called in Ares’ direction, his voice still somewhat misted, “I’ll take care of that. We’ll meet you up ahead, okay?”

Howard opened his mouth to protest, but Gregor nodded, as Henry thought, thankfully. “Good idea.” He glanced in the direction where Luxa had disappeared to. “Ripred you can track us, right? If we get too far ahead or off course?” The rat nodded, “anytime.”

Henry desperately tried to calm his thoughts, to think proactively. “We... we’ll catch up to you. We’ll leave a message for the army, and we’ll... catch up to you.”

Gregor nodded, mounting Ares and tugging on Howard’s arm, urging him to do the same. But Luxa’s cousin was still staring at Henry. “Wait – wait, hold on everyone.” He lowered his leg, that he had already raised to mount Ares, again. “You – you will do no such thing!”

Henry’s head jolted up in surprise. He had already started looking for his notebook when Howard ripped his arm out of Gregor’s grip. From behind him, he heard Thanatos’ silent growl, but Howard’s voice overshadowed it – “YOU!” He took a couple steps forward until he was standing directly before Henry, “Talking of following us, ha!”

He threw a short glance in the direction Luxa had disappeared to, as if to make sure she was gone, before turning to Henry again. “I will not...”, he was biting his lip now, like he felt conflicted for a moment, before taking a deep breath – “I should arrest you on the spot, is what I should do!” Henry heard the anger in his voice, but also the desperation. “I should call the army here now, to take you, and execute you, for the treason you committed! You... how DARE you even, even come here and –?”

He took a final step towards Henry and to his surprise, grabbed hold of the front of his shirt. The exiled prince was so perplexed he failed to shake him immediately.

“How DARE YOU even SHOW YOUR FACE TO US NOW?!”, Howard cried as he shook Henry with all his strength. He was physically weaker but slightly taller than the exiled prince and Henry felt drained of the strength and will to shake him now. “YOU –”

Henry heard Thanatos behind him growl louder, readying himself to attack Howard and drag him off his bond when someone beat him to it – “STOP!” Howard froze as Gregor caught his arm and forcefully tore him away from Henry. “Are you crazy?” His fists were clenched and fury shone in his eyes. “What do you think you are doing? He is HELPING US!”

Howard snorted, before ripping his arm out of Gregor’s grip. “Helping. Sure. You know who he is, how can you trust a single word from his mouth?” But Gregor was not backing down. “No – how can YOU say that? After all he’s done for us these last two years? He saved your sister, you said that yourself! When we talked about why he was part of our team – you SAID IT YOURSELF! What CHANGED, Howard? Tell me, whether you call him DEATH RIDER or HENRY – WHAT CHANGED?”

Howard stared at Gregor furiously but had no reply. The Overlander was dragging him over to Ares already when he turned to Henry one last time – “Stay away from Luxa, you hear? STAY AWAY!”

The exiled prince couldn’t tear his eyes off Ares as he finally lifted off, with Gregor and Howard, in the same direction Aurora had disappeared to.

His head was spinning, he felt dizzy from Howard’s shaking... or from what had just happened... maybe both. This was not happening... it was not real. Only now, to his own surprise, Henry realized he was shaking.

“Lad, you with us?” Ripred sounded behind him suddenly, and the exiled prince slowly turned his way to nod.


	16. Enemy of my Enemy

“We will follow them.” Henry heard his voice almost like through a cloud of mist, like it wasn’t his own. He twisted the hastily scribbled note with the instructions where Luxa was headed and the call to follow in his hand, almost ripping it on accident.

“Henry, you don’t have to –”, but he interrupted Thanatos, trying to steady his voice – “I do.” When his bond appeared beside him, they exchanged glances. “I wasn’t lying. I swore this oath as Luxa did. And I’m not backing down from it. I...”, he angrily kicked at a pebble so that it landed in the water, “I watched them die, Death, I sat idly and watched them die in the poisonous fumes – my... our... friends – IT’S THE LEAST I CAN DO!”

He had no choice. Even though... Had this really just happened? It almost felt like a dream – a nightmare – had it all been a nightmare? When would he wake up?

Thanatos saw in his eye that Henry had decided. “But... they know who you are now...” The flier cowered down next to him. “How will things be now? How will you be able to work with them, fight with them, if –”, but Henry shushed him – “No, stop. Stop talking! Please! I –”

Thanatos saw the expression in his eye and decided it was for the best to drop the topic for now. They would manage. Somehow, they would.

“You need to get me up there”, Henry sighed, staring at the entrance to the secret tunnel. “I need to deposit this message somewhere.” Thanatos eyed him, trying to discern whether he actually had a plan or was just trying to drown his emotions in some kind of activity, like always, but whichever one it was – he was right. “Come then.”

“Ripred, you –”, Henry glanced back at the rat, who had watched the scene from the side. Ripred nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

Relieved, Henry finally mounted up and Thanatos made his way to the passage. As they approached, the exiled prince automatically stretched his hands out and grabbed the ledge of the tunnel to pull himself up, like he had done so many times before. Except when he had been meeting Tonguetwist and had to use a rope because Ares hadn’t been supposed to know and – no. Angrily, he shook the thought and glanced down, only to see Thanatos whiz past him and land on the shore next to Ripred.

Carefully he stood up and for the first time, the realization where he was, truly hit him. He was staring at the turtle... the turtle... the smiling one, at the bottom of the well.

Slowly, he stretched his hand out to touch its face – had it shrunken? No, he had grown, Henry thought, and almost automatically reached inside its mouth to pull the lever.

Like in a trance he followed the steps upward, and for the first time asked himself what he would do if there were people in the old nursery. Then, he realized the chances were slim to none, not with how it wasn’t used anymore, yet a rest fear remained.

He was on edge and had to keep his hands from shaking when he finally lifted himself over the rim of the open shell of the second turtle. The room was entirely dark. Henry only knew it was empty because his echolocation picked up every shape, every nook and cranny of this room, this room –

Before he could finish the thought, he heard voices outside, and quickly ducked behind the turtle, until they had passed. Henry tried to steady his breathing and slowly stood up. He was, he was... back.

The full realization as to how he was actually back... here, in Regalia, in the palace, hit him now and he felt dizzy for a moment. How was any of this real? Still shaking, he took a few steps forward, automatically circling around the turtle until he stood in front of –

The mural. His eyes had grown so accustomed to the dark that he could barely make it out, in what little light streamed in from outside. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew this wasn’t the time to reminisce or linger, but he couldn’t move or look away. It was not as far up on the wall as he had remembered, he even had to look down a little to look at – Henry traced the century-old lines carefully – himself.

He realized something in his head hadn’t comprehended up until this very moment, that it was indeed him on this wall, it had always been him. Next to him the flier with the skull-shaped mask. Thanatos.

Thoughtlessly, he traced the flier’s wing, before his finger came to a halt at the mask – the mask! A memory like a lightning bolt jolted through his mind and his head jerked around in the direction of – had it been real, or had his six-year-old-self dreamed that part up?

But before he could press the mask for confirmation, the room brightened up like someone had just lit a – “I knew you would be here today... I knew you would be... brother.”

Henry spun around so fast he almost stumbled over his own feet, only to stare at the now brightly lit, from the lantern she had brought, face of – she was so gaunt, he thought. So thin, so pale, even for an Underlander. Taller, a little bit, with fuzzy hair and a carelessly draped nightgown, barely reaching her bare feet. Was it bedtime, here in the palace?

“N... Nerissa...?” She moved closer, only a couple steps, holding the lantern up, presumably to get a better look at him. When they stood only a few feet apart, her huge, pale violet eyes widened, and for the first time, Henry realized how he must look to her – his rugged clothes, the way too long, only loosely tied, hair, the eyepatch, the countless scars...

“Nerissa, it’s me!” He tried calling quietly but instantly realized anyone in close proximity would hear him.

“Henry...?” Her voice was quiet and cautious, she now squinted her eyes and drew even closer. He gave her a crooked smile. “Hey, I know I look a little different from when you last saw me, but it’s me! Nerissa, it’s me!”

At his words, a wave of recognition finally flashed in her eyes and she nearly dropped the lantern, before setting it down on the, now closed, back of the turtle. “Henry!”

At last, a wave of happiness engulfed him and when she sprinted a few steps towards him, arms spread, he instantly caught her in a hug, almost unintentionally lifting her off the ground in the process. She barely suppressed a squeal, her arms wrapped around his neck and he spun her around, almost crying tears of happiness.

“Brother, oh, brother, I feared for you so, you have no idea, the visions, Henry, I could not see –” She was stammering now, and Henry sat her down, only to wrap his arms around her again. Holding her like this, it became even more apparent how emaciated she was. She was barely two years younger than him, but holding her felt like holding a child, not the grown woman she was now.

“Hey, hey – I’m alright, Nerissa, I’m alright. I’m alive. You saw that, didn’t you? You saw me here tonight.” She nodded, face pressed into his vest. “But brother, the visions... so much pain. You have faced so much of it, have you not?”

“And yet here I am, alive and well.” He didn’t want to scare her with any of his stories now, not now when they had so little time. “Hey, I wasn’t going to die, and you know that.” He loosened his grip on her a little, to be able to look at her. “I told you I had no plans to die... did I not?”

Nerissa’s face remained serious. “And I told you there are evils beyond death.” He sighed. “And you were right as always.”

She carefully let go of him entirely now, and stepped back, to look at him properly. “Henry, is that truly you? My goodness, you – your eye...” He sighed again and shrugged. “It’s half as bad as it looks. I’m fine, I promise.”

Nerissa looked little convinced, but she had never been one to fall for lies, pretty or not. Now, she was biting her lip. “I dislike my visions usually, but this one I was thankful for, it led me to you, brother.”

He grinned at her again. “Yes, this one was a good one – Nerissa, how on earth are you faring? You... you’re so thin, what happened? Are you unhappy? Is something the matter?”

She sighed. “I am fine, better than you, most likely. But... but Henry, we have not much time.” She glanced back at the door, “you are here not to see me, are you?”

Her words brought back the memory of his mission, and he quickly fetched the scroll with the note. “No, I’m afraid not. I need to get this to Vikus... or a different council member, or someone else with power over the army. It is very dire, Nerissa, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you.”

She nodded, her face grave serious. “The Bane... the war. You are trying to save us, with the Overlander and with Luxa.” Henry’s smile instantly dropped as the memory of the scene at the Spout returned. “I... I have to.”

She grasped the scroll from him. “I will deliver your message. But brother, you have to promise you’ll take care. I can not see, brother, not beyond the war. I go to sleep every night, hoping my dreams will show me the outcome of all of this, but they never do. Henry, please take care. Take care of yourself, and of the others. They might not know it, but they need you. We all do.”

Henry gave her a somewhat pained smile. “I hope you are right. But I promise, baby sister. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again – I have no plans to die. Life’s thrown so much shit at me at this point that I’m pretty sure the world would have to end altogether if I’m supposed to die.”

She managed to crack a smile, and he embraced her once more – suddenly painfully aware of how this would most likely be the last time he would ever see her. “Nerissa?” – “Hm?” He took a deep breath – “Nerissa, please... please promise me you’ll manage things here in my place. Please promise me... you’ll care for Luxa for me, okay? And for Hazard, for Vikus...”

A sharp jolt of pain suddenly pierced his heart as he became painfully aware of just how final this goodbye was. “For them all. I love them all, okay? And I love you, I always will, baby sister.”

She jerked back from him suddenly, staring at him wide-eyed. “Henry, you are talking like I will never see you again!” He averted his gaze. “I... I just want you to promise it... in case you won’t.” He sighed, “I... Nerissa, I’m an outcast now, my place isn’t here anymore. I don’t know... I hope with all my heart, but I don’t know... if we will meet again. So please promise, for me, Nerissa, please!”

She lowered her gaze, “I knew you would say this. I hoped you would not, but I knew. That this was the last chance I would get to see you... perhaps ever.” She looked up again and Henry saw tears in her eyes now. “I promise, brother, I promise. I can never replace you, but I will hold the memory of you in my heart, and in the hearts of those who once loved you like I did – as well as I can, without giving you away.”

Henry hugged her one last time, desperately trying to hold the tears in. “Fly you high, sister – I will always keep you in my thoughts, in my heart, also”, he mumbled and heard her quiet sobs.

When Henry sensed someone approaching from outside once more, he, at last, released her. “I have to go, Nerissa, they can not find me here.” – “I will deliver your message!”, she called after him, as he was already hurrying down the steps into the turtle’s exposed shell.

“Fly you high, brother – wherever life may take you, always fly you high!”, was the last he heard of her voice before it fell silent as the top shell closed... for what felt like forever.

“You have got to be kidding me! You have all got to be KIDDING ME!” Gregor glanced at Howard, who had raised his voice from the opposite side of the torch they had put up as campfire. “You are meaning to tell me you KNEW all this time? AND HE TOO?!” He pointed his finger at Ares, who visibly winced back under Howard’s accusing gaze.

Gregor clenched his jaw. “Leave him out of this!”, he called, “and... yes we knew. But as I said before... what does it even matter? What does it... change?”

Howard just snorted angrily and Gregor closed his eyes for a second. Why was all of this even happening now? Wasn’t it bad enough these people wanted, needed, him to fight their war, his mother was sick, Lizzie and his dad all alone, and a prophecy predicting his own death on top of it all?

His gaze fell on the spot where Luxa had curled up in Aurora’s wing. She was not facing them – him. She was angry. Her “Overlander” still rang in his ears and Gregor wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of his lungs. Why did life throw problem after problem at him while he hadn’t even settled a single one?

His gaze darted back to Howard – and now he had to put up with the whole crisis around Henry’s identity as well. After all he had done in trying to help everyone, they most likely hated him now. Howard for sure, and Luxa too, after he had kept Henry’s secret from her.

“Just... just leave me alone, okay?”, he screamed at Howard, why couldn’t people just leave him alone for once? Gregor was fourteen, but right now he felt half his age. If he were seven, he wouldn’t have to deal with any of this. He could be at home now, playing with his toys, going to school, like a normal kid. His dad hadn’t vanished yet when he had been seven. They had been happy.

He plopped down next to Ares angrily, deliberately facing away from everyone, especially Howard. “I wish we could just get this over with”, he mumbled, his gaze automatically wandering back to Luxa.

“We do not know where to go”, Ares remarked, and Gregor sighed. Only Henry and Ripred knew the way, that’s why they had needed to stop. That and they had caught up to Luxa. She had not acknowledged them at all, only stared, but she had not sent them away either.

Despite how overwhelmed he felt with his own worries, he realized he managed to squeeze in worry on Luxa’s behalf as well. _He is the Death Rider, Howard. I know. Who else would he be?_ Her words rang in his ears and he inevitably asked himself what she had meant. She knew it was Henry, Gregor had been there when she had found out, yet that had almost sounded like –

“Why is Howard so angry?”, Gregor finally sighed at Ares. He found himself picking up a small pebble to twist around in his hand.

His bond beside him shifted. “I understand his anger, to a degree. He cares for Luxa, so he wishes to keep all harm from her. But his judgment is clouded – he can not stop seeing Henry as a threat when he is not anymore.” Ares was silent for a moment, “I had trouble with that myself, to be honest. Stop seeing Henry as... bad, if you like.”

Gregor frustratedly threw the pebble at the wall. “Why is that such a big deal? I... I get that he hurt you all by doing what he did, but hasn’t he done much more good than bad at this point? Why am I the only one who can see that?”

Ares sighed. “Because you had not known Henry like we did. His betrayal meant little to you, so you can remain unbiased far easier than we. You are certainly right when you say he has atoned enough, but for Howard and most of us others it is hard to understand this.”

“But it’s not fair!”, Gregor exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I never asked for...” – “Boy, none of us asked for any of this, yet we all have it on our backs now. So be quiet.” Gregor winced and spun around at the snarling voice of Ripred. Howard jumped to his feet, only Luxa and Aurora remained still.

The rat now strolled out of the only entrance to the cave they had been resting in. “I hope you are all fit for battle. With how long we are taking, the army will probably already await us there.”

“Where is... he?” Howard narrowed his eyes, looking around cautiously. Ripred chuckled. “I believe it was you who told him to stay away? So he flew ahead. He will join you for the battle, he said.”

Howard only snorted, turning away. “It would benefit us all if he stayed away altogether”, he mumbled, only to receive a lash from Ripred’s tail. The rat hadn’t hit him hard, but Howard still cried in pain, from which Luxa and Aurora jolted up. “You really need to get your priorities checked, you know that?”, Ripred hissed, and Gregor was eternally grateful at least SOMEONE other than him recognized Howard’s behavior as rude.

With Ripred leading the way, they made fast progress now. Gregor was glad Howard had chosen to ride with Luxa as he was still angry with him – and she with Gregor. When he had tried to smile at her after she had gotten up to continue their journey, she had ignored him entirely, and her silence hurt more than he would have ever admitted.

Why can she not see things my way for once – he thought, and angrily clenched his jaw. Why is it always me who has to be understanding, to apologize? Gregor hated battles, but, in a strange way, he almost looked forward to any sort of distraction from his restless thoughts now.

The trip along the outskirts of the Firelands took them a couple hours, and Gregor and Ares remained silent for most of it. At some point, he had even tried to lie down and get some sleep, but he couldn’t calm his thoughts. Too much was happening, rummaging around in his head, now, and with a battle coming up soon, he was found himself way too restless.

The first time Gregor noticed a change in the environment was when he realized he was rubbing his hands together from cold. He had never been cold in the Underland before, except after having gotten wet, and when he turned on the flashlight he had packed and pointed the beam at the walls around them he suddenly realized they were covered in ice.

“Wow, this... this is amazing!”, he called, shining the light around. The walls sparkled brightly and for a moment Gregor focused on the beauty of their environment rather than the impending doom they were facing. Boots would love this, he thought, as he admired the ice more, and realized he was smiling now.

His smile only dropped when Ares ducked into a smaller tunnel, following Ripred on his tail – and he saw the rats.

“Oh... oh no... we are too late”, Gregor mumbled when he saw the image unfolding before him. There were rats, so many rats – he estimated maybe a hundred or so. They had scraped some sort of staircase into the icy wall so that those on the top could reach the ceiling of the ginormous cave, to... too... claw away at it.

Gregor instantly switched off his light and Ares used the size of the cave to remain out of sight, closely followed by Aurora. The bats were flying close to the wall at all times, to remain undetected by the rats who were all focused on their task.

They are actually trying to break through the ice, Gregor thought, and a shiver ran down his spine – and not from the cold. If they break the ceiling here, this entire cave will collapse, he realized and shifted uncomfortably on Ares’ back. And it will surely have an effect on the water levels of all rivers connecting to here. Henry hadn’t been kidding... if their plan worked, and their canalization really connected into here, Regalia would actually be flooded.

Gregor had trouble keeping the panic at bay. Where was the army? Hadn’t Ripred said something about them – Ripred! Gregor heard a loud screech from below him and only now realized the rat, who had to run on the floor and was less well camouflaged than the bats, had been discovered.

Some of the rats must have recognized him as they were calling his name now, flocking around him. Gregor twisted his head to spot the pearly white coat of the Bane, but he wasn’t in sight. As the rats cornered Ripred, they had also discovered the bats now and were calling their names, recognizing Aurora and Ares, and pointing their way. It was now or never, then.

For a moment, concern flashed in Gregor’s mind – there was no way they could take all these rats alone. But then he remembered backup was on its way – and besides, it’s not like they had much of a choice.

Gregor didn’t have to tell Ares they needed to help Ripred, his bond was already diving down, and Gregor barely had enough time to draw his sword and switch his flashlight back on, when they came in reach of the rats.

Their hate-filled screeches rang in his ears now, and Gregor sliced at the first in his way. He was in a little bit of a predicament as he hadn’t had the time to tape the flashlight to his arm and holding it in one, the sword in the other hand felt strange, but now was not the time to be picky.

Soon Gregor was covered in blood, and Ares’s fur had become damp and sticky with the stuff, but neither of them had more than scratches. As he fought, he slowly felt the rager-sensation take over, and this time he submitted willingly.

He injured many rats, some of them fatally, he thought, although he couldn’t be sure, but the numbers attacking him only increased. From somewhere he heard the cries of the others, he barely had time to look out for them – there was Aurora, whizzing between dozens of rats, Howard and Luxa on her back, both with drawn swords. And there Ripred was, on the ground, encircled entirely, doing his signature move – how had Henry called it? The ground coiler. Wait... Henry! Where was –

A sharp pain jolted through his arm suddenly, the left arm – the one with the flashlight. Gregor released it instinctively and could only watch the light shatter on the floor. “NOO!”, he cried, and hadn’t Ares dodged the rats using his echolocation, Gregor thought the prophecy would be fulfilled here and now. His mind was reeling, the light, the light – he needed the light to fight!

The cave around him was entirely dark, he could not make out more than shades, Gregor randomly swung his sword around now, the rager-sensation had instantly vanished, like back in the tunnel with Twirltongue. He wanted to scream of frustration as his sword cut empty space, missing the rats by miles, before – light!

Gregor almost fell off Ares’ back as a light whizzed past him, where did that come from? He was distracted and disoriented, and had not seen the huge brown rat jump at him until it had almost reached him. Gregor heard Ares’ scream and could do nothing but close his eyes, waiting for the impact – but it never came. Instead, it sounded a high-pitched squeal and a wave of relief hit Gregor when he saw the burning blade slice at his enemies and heard the by now familiar battle cry mix with the screams – Henry.

Thanatos maneuvered through the rows of enemies at astonishing speed, and once more Gregor witnessed the true power of Henry’s saddle-contraption. His blade tore through the rows of rats like a fiery lightning bolt and provided enough light for Gregor himself to see. But Henry hadn’t come alone.

Only when he heard the almost deafening rustling of wings behind him, Gregor suddenly realized the tables had turned. Had their little gang been fighting desperately for their lives before, he now saw bats streaming in through a tunnel on the far right – many bats. Hundreds maybe. And each carried a human with a sword, ready to send the rats running.

The army. They had actually found them.

Gregor was about to sigh in relief when a loud grumbling sounded over the hundreds of screams that now filled the cave. “The ceiling!” Ares called, and as Gregor looked up, his heart skipped a beat. “NOO!”, he screamed, as his bond darted upwards.

Like in slow motion Gregor saw the crack spread from where the rats had been scratching. His head was ringing, he frantically looked around if he could spot the others – “LUXA!” Ares heard his scream and crossed the room in search of her.

Another rumble ran through the cave and now, most of the soldiers had noticed it too. Gregor heard several calls to stick to the ceiling, but he was only looking out for Luxa. “LUXA!”, he cried again, desperately searching for Aurora’s golden fur among the chaos.

“Ripred!”, Ares suddenly hissed, and another wave of panic engulfed Gregor. Luxa had Aurora to fly – Ripred was on foot.

Ares had just dipped down again to search for Ripred when it happened. He heard the water before he felt the drops, like rain, on his neck. It’s like when the Swag was flooded, Gregor thought, then the flood hit Ares and he thought nothing anymore.

The first thing Gregor noticed when he opened his eyes, was the ringing in his ears. He tried to sit, and immediately felt the world around him spin, like he was caught in a ginormous whirlpool. He coughed violently and tried to determine where he was when someone pressed him back to the floor – “Lie still, I believe you have hit your head in that chaos.”

When his vision focused and Gregor could make out the face before him, he unbelievingly blinked at... “Ma... Mareth?”

The soldier smiled. “Yes, Gregor, I am here. A fine mess you have gotten yourselves into, here. Solovet was furious when she was told Luxa had left the palace again, even worse, with you. What in the world were you thinking, Gregor?”

A wave of guilt hit him suddenly as he saw Mareth’s strained face. “I... she... she said only she could lure the army here, they would only send them for her, and...” He fell back, groaning. Mareth caught him before he could hit his head and sighed. “I see. But you can not just –”

“Hey, where is she actually?” Gregor jolted up again, only now realizing his teeth were rattling from cold. His clothes were soaked, like his hair. But catching a cold was the least of his worries now.

“Luxa!”, he called, “Ares! Hey, where is everyone... where are we?” For the first time, he actually took the time to inspect his surroundings. From what he could make out, they had found refuge in a small cave that had presumably once been high up in the air, but the tunnel it led to was now a streaming river, the water level was only inches below the entrance to the cave.

“Relax, Gregor, Andromeda and I fished you and your flier out of the stream. He is safe.” Mareth pointed at the back end of the cave, where Gregor made out the shapes of Ares and Andromeda, huddled together.

“Ares!”, he called, trying to drag himself in his direction, before remembering the others. “Hey, where...”, but before Gregor could finish his sentence, he saw a bat fluttering into the cave, on his back he made out a human and a rat. The bat’s face was a skull-shaped white stain. “He... Hey!”, he called, remembering in the last second Henry’s identity was a secret, and tried to get to his feet, “Ripred!”

Mareth jolted around and stared at the outcast. “He... eh...” – “Zip it, boy, now is not the time for...” Ripred was interrupted by a coughing fit, he slid off Thanatos’ back and spew out what seemed like an entire river worth of water, but he was alive.

When Gregor turned back to Mareth, who was standing before Henry now. “You – I have... have I seen you before? Wait, Thanatos! Weren’t you on the waterway with us, when...”, the soldier stammered, but Henry interrupted him, “Yes, it’s me... the outcast from the waterway. But... we can catch up later, okay? First, we have to find the others. Death, you –”, his flier picked up his train of thought – “I sensed Aurora not far from here. We must find her.”

“What about the others?”, Ares’ voice sounded from the back-end of the cave and only now Gregor fully and truly realized what had just happened – “The army... all of them... the flood!”, he stammered, but Mareth placed a hand on his shoulder before he could panic more. “They escaped... well, most did, from what I saw. Only parts of the ceiling broke away, and Vikus had Regalia’s canalization system sealed earlier, on Nerissa’s request. The city will be safe.”

Gregor felt notably relieved at those news, but he could not relax entirely with Luxa’s fate still in the air. “You said you saw Aurora?”, he addressed Thanatos, and the bat nodded. “Follow me.”

Henry had reignited his sword, for lack of better light sources, and he confidently led the way, following the tunnel that was now a river, Ares with Gregor and Andromeda with Mareth on his tail. Ripred had settled on Thanatos again, and the black bat seemed to be fine with the additional weight for now.

Only maybe five minutes later he dipped into a side tunnel that was entirely flooded as well, except for – there, on a small ledge so high up you could probably touch the ceiling when standing on it, Gregor saw in the flickering light of Henry’s sword the small shape of a bat – and those of two humans beside her.

“With all due respect, Luxa – you can not be serious!”, Mareth called while staring at her, in the dim light of a torch Henry had somehow managed to keep dry. Howard was right at his side, unbelieving like the soldier. It had only been maybe ten minutes since they had found each other, and they were already arguing again, Gregor thought and suppressed a sigh.

Luxa stared at the two men defiantly. Gregor looked her way as well, as discreetly as he could. She was soaked, like they all. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face, the braid had come undone and her shirt was hanging from her belt. Hadn’t she still worn the golden crown he would have never guessed she was, in fact, a queen.

“Why are we even arguing?”, she hissed, “you just told us how the fastest way to Regalia has been cut off by the water. I will have to take a detour regardless, whether I try and seek out some potential allies on the way or not. You can not stop me, Mareth – not this time.”

Gregor silently shook his head – had this mission been on her mind all along? It was what she had originally wanted to do after the episode with the volcano. Gregor bit his lip now, he thought he had never heard her voice like this before. It was like it had been drained of all positive emotion, Luxa sounded numb and exhausted, almost... lifeless. Like she has nothing to lose anymore.

The thought scared him, and in an impulse, he rose to his feet. “If you go, I will come with you.” The small group that had assembled around the torch, consisting of Luxa, Henry and Mareth with their bats, Howard, and Ares, all stared at Gregor in shock. Before Mareth could open his mouth to protest, Henry had risen from his place, a little offside, in the shade of the wall, as well – “Me too. For lack of better options, mainly.”

Luxa winced when she heard his voice, like she hadn’t even registered he was here, until now. But before she could speak, Howard sprung up as well – “You... YOU?! But –”, Ripred interrupted his beginning tirade with a hiss – “He who helped saving your ass from the flood just now, yes, he.” Howard’s mouth snapped shut and he stared at Ripred with narrowed eyes.

The rat’s gaze darted between all who had stood up now – Luxa, Gregor, Henry, and Howard – and audibly sighed. “Oh goodness, the Children’s Crusade is at it again, it seems. Is this seriously going to be another quest or what? I thought we JUST had one of those. Can one catch a break some time, too?”


	17. Team

The silence on top of the little plateau was almost deafening. The only sound, almost painfully loud in Henry’s ears, was the consistently rushing stream below them. The water level had sunken a little, since they had arrived, but it would most likely take days for it to drain entirely.

He was throwing glances at the group around his torch, they had huddled together even closer now after Mareth had left. Luxa had sent him away – she had claimed someone needed to report her whereabouts to her people – and he was of little use on the ground with his missing leg anyway.

Henry had never heard Luxa speak so bluntly before, her almost blank expression, as she had told that to Mareth’s face, lingered in his memory, and his clenched jaw as he had taken it in. Of course, he had wanted to stay anyway, only when Ripred had reassured him he would protect her and the others, he had reluctantly obliged.

Mareth and Andromeda had taken off maybe fifteen minutes ago, and ever since then, the group had fallen silent. At some point, Ripred had nudged Henry in the side, saying they should probably eat something before they would start their trek – and here he was now, mindlessly dissecting the last of the four fish meant for the humans. The fliers had eaten while they had fished and were resting, hanging in a corner, now.

When Henry was finally done, he almost reluctantly turned to the group – would they even want what he had made anymore? Now that they –

Before he could indulge in these thoughts more, Ripred had jumped up. “You finally done, lad? I am starving!” Henry couldn’t suppress a grin, “Your fish is over there, Ripred, I don’t think I need to dissect anything for you.”

The rat stared at him for a second, “You mean to say I could have eaten all this time? Lad, why do you not TELL ME THAT?!” He brushed past Henry almost forcefully and immediately plopped down next to the pile of three fish the exiled prince had put aside for him.

Henry stared at him for a second, shaking his head in amusement, when someone suddenly tugged at his sleeve. “So, is dinner ready?” His gaze darted away from Ripred at Gregor, who had asked. Henry couldn’t help but notice how worn out and tired the Overlander looked, he also seemed to have lost weight and looked paler than usual.

Gregor had way too much responsibility placed on him for his young age, he thought, and a wave of sympathy for him engulfed Henry suddenly, as he remembered how the Overlander had always remained kind to him, even after he had found out his identity.

“Yes, want to help me distribute it?”, the exiled prince asked and gave him the most convincing smile he had. “Yes, of course”, Gregor nodded, and together they carried the fish over to the others. At this point, nobody minded it was raw either.

Luxa took hers silently, disregarding both Henry and Gregor, but Howard jolted up as Henry dropped a fish before him. For a second he looked like he wanted to refuse it, but the exiled prince, frankly, had had enough. “Either eat it or catch your own food, Howard.” When Luxa’s cousin still eyed him suspiciously, he rolled his eye – “We have been traveling together for three quests now, and every time I’ve been stuck making food for you all. Had I wanted to POISON you, I’d have done so long ago!”

Howard reluctantly avoided his gaze at that and finally started eating, while Henry looked down at his own fish – and at the campfire. They had all sat around it so that there was little room left for him to join.

He hesitantly stepped back and finally sat down near the wall, away from everyone. Only now he realized he was squeezing the fish so hard his nails were digging into it. Frustratedly he averted his gaze and focused on eating, but their evidently rejecting behavior towards him hurt like an arrow to the heart.

He stared at them, his own words to Thanatos rang in his ears – _I tried making myself believe they all showed their kindness to me – the true me. Henry. But they do not._ Never in his life, he had wished to have been wrong more. But he had been. He stared at them, trying to come to terms with how his own bubble had been popped. He was not part of their team. He had never been. It had been the Death Rider. Not Henry.

“Hey lad, you got a game plan yet?” Henry jumped a little when he heard Ripred’s voice next to him. He had not been focusing and the rat had been silent as ever.

He stared at Ripred for a second, his mind wiped blank. A plan? Why did he always have to have a plan? Why couldn’t these guys take their stupid quest elsewhere and leave him be – if they weren’t going to accept him anyway?

He finally bit his lip, realizing it was impossible. They were all stuck here, in the same boat. Semi-literally even, as there was still water surrounding them.

Almost like he had guessed his thoughts Ripred sighed. “Try to not take this personal, lad. They’ll get over it, I promise. For now, keep doing what you do, even if nobody appreciates it. Just tell yourself that one day, they will. It helps. A little.” Henry swallowed, throwing glances at his – their – team. “Kay.” He couldn’t bring himself to say more.

Angrily he blinked away a tear and clenched his jaw. Think, Henry, he commanded himself. Stand up and do something useful, you’ve babysat them for three quests, you can’t just let a little silent treatment stop you. This is bigger than you and your stupid hurt feelings, it’s bigger than them, bigger than anything the Underland’s faced in centuries. So get your shit together and do what you always do, he scolded himself angrily while rising to his feet. He had already opened his mouth to address them when suddenly the torch flickered – and went out.

A nervous murmur went through the assembly on the ledge and Henry instantly realized they had a problem. “Hey, has one of you fuel?”, he heard Howard ask, and shook his head before he realized they couldn’t see him. “No, that was my last.” He perceived everyone jerk around in his direction, “But what are we going to do now? I lost my flashlight in the battle”, Gregor mumbled from where he had stood up.

Henry’s mind was reeling. “Hey, aren’t you the “always prepared for everything”-guy now?”, Howard spoke, “why don’t you have more? It’s your torch, is it not?”

Henry angrily clenched his fist. “Because this torch is for emergencies. As you may remember, I don’t need light to orientate anymore, usually.” Howard remained silent and the exiled prince perceived him nervously shift. “We need to establish where we are”, Henry finally decided, “Hey, Death?” He hated waking his bond, but they had no choice now.

“What happened?” Only moments later Henry heard the fluttering of three pairs of wings next to him. The fliers had joined them now. “Why is it so dark?”, Aurora now asked, landing next to Luxa. “Because I did not pack enough fuel”, Henry replied and bit his lip. “Death, do you have any idea as to where we are?” His eye had grown accustomed to the dark now so that he saw the shapes of his fellow travelers in what light the water emitted.

His bond was now at his side, “Andromeda said we have been driven east by the flood, and from how she described it, we are fairly close to the Firelands. Apparently, this tunnel leads further east, until it forks into three. I believe we know where that is.”

Henry stared at him for a second, then understood. “The citadel! The right tunnel of three leads to the citadel! This... isn’t this the exact place where Cylindra and you hid out when the cutters attacked, back then?”

Thanatos nodded, and fresh hope rose in Henry. “Okay, we may not be as screwed as we think”, he addressed the others, taking a step forward. “I actually know where we are, and there is a place not far from here where I have –”, but before he could finish his sentence, Howard stopped him. “One moment, but who exactly made YOU the leader?”

Henry froze in his tracks, staring at the face of Luxa’s cousin in the dim light. “I –”, but Howard gave him no opportunity to speak. “You have no place here anymore!”

It was like someone had stabbed a sword through his chest. Henry felt his head spin from the painful truth seeping from Howard’s words. He had no place here. He wasn’t even supposed to be here... here... he was supposed to be dead... right? Was that what... Howard had wanted to say?

“I will not follow anywhere you lead, you hear?”, Howard kept speaking. At first, Henry barely listened, but he couldn’t speak either. “We have put up with you so far because Regalia was on the line, but this is it for you. You... crawl back to where you came from, the Dead Land, or wherever you live now, I don’t care. You have no right to be here, and we don’t want you here, so leave, before I change my mind on the whole “arresting you”-issue – because, and, believe me, I’m thinking on it.”

Only now Henry realized he was clenching his fist so hard his nails were almost piercing his skin. He... he had no place here... and yet... “And who gave you the authorization to talk like this? To even threaten to arrest me?” Henry angrily bit his lip and realized he hated how he felt so conflicted on talking back – he had always talked back, who was he to take shit from Howard?

His gaze darted over to Thanatos who seemed in some sort of conversation with Aurora and Henry was glad he didn’t notice and feel the need to intervene. He could fight his own damn battles, after all.

There was still the guilt gnawing at him, whenever he looked at any of them – then again, when was it heard of that Henry of Re-... of the Dead Land, had been guilt-tripped into submission?

“You have not the power to command me – now less than ever!” He had taken a step forward, he and Howard were face to face now, glaring from narrowed eyes. “And if you think YOU can get them out of this one, be my guest! I can already sense the joy of watching you fail!”

Howard had already opened his mouth when a whip suddenly lashed down between them. In the last second, Henry managed to stumble back, Howard jolted away almost equally fast. Only when both of them saw the figure of Ripred looming between them they realized it had been his tail.

“Shut IT!” His screech was not overly loud yet still deafening in its intensity. Both of them retreated another step, staring at the rat unbelievingly.

His gaze wandered back and forth between the two young men, before angrily hissing – “For the love of everything we all fight for in this war, will you two CUT IT OUT at last?”

Henry saw Howard open his mouth to respond, but the rat beat him to it. “NO. I speak now. SHUSH.” He grabbed Howard’s arm with one, Henry’s with the other paw, and pulled them in until they stood to both his sides. “Do you not see what you are doing here?” Henry followed his gaze, somewhat confused as to what he meant, until he saw Luxa and Gregor.

Luxa was sitting against the wall, face buried in Aurora’s fur. Gregor was cowering with his legs pulled on, side by side with Ares. He was trying not to look, but Henry saw his gaze dart over to them once in a while.

“Do you GROWN MEN see those PUPS over there?” Ripred was still hissing almost quietly, presumably for Luxa and Gregor not to hear. “They, at the moment, have the responsibility of wars and peace and life and death and OH SO MUCH MORE weighing on their way too young shoulders, and what do you?” He shook both Howard and Henry slightly, “you give them MORE WORRIES instead of trying to lift the already existing ones! Because if you think your behavior has no impact on them – well, just LOOK!” He gestured in the direction of the kids again, and Henry suddenly felt a sting of shame pierce his heart.

“I –” By the expression in Howard’s face, he saw he felt the same. “B... but he...”, Howard then pointed at Henry, and cried in pain when Ripred tugged at his arm almost violently. “ESPECIALLY you. Can you for once get OVER YOURSELF and see what is right in front of you?”

With something like surprise, the exiled prince noticed Ripred had let go of his arm. “He”, the rat gestured at Henry, “is not your enemy. He was, yes, but he is not anymore. Will you finally see the man who saved your sister from that ass Longclaw and not the confused traitor he has long grown out of?”

For the first time, Henry thought, Howard’s gaze at him was not immediately hostile – though it was still far from friendly. “Just – oh I know, forgiving is hard and all, but could you guys just call a truce or something? Because, in all honesty, I have a terrible headache right now, and I could really use either of you babysitting the pups because I really, really don’t want to do it. Got it?”

Henry blinked at him surprised, then stared at Howard. “How can I call a truce if he keeps on –”, but Ripred interrupted again, “Oh for all our sake, your reason sits right there.” He gestured over to Luxa. “How about we all focus on what you guys have in common for a second?”

“In common? With the –” Ripred shook his head. “Come on, this is getting ridiculous. The one thing that connects you two, for our – but mostly my – sake, let it unite you now, too. You both love and want to protect Luxa, right?”

His words were followed by a grave silence. Neither Henry nor Howard knew what to say to that – because it was painfully true. After almost a minute of staring at Ripred, they finally exchanged a glance.

“I still don’t trust you”, Howard remarked, “And I still can’t stand your ass”, Henry fired back. But before Ripred could interrupt again, he continued – “But what he says is true. We have more important things to fight than each other.”

Howard visibly gulped, but finally nodded. “You are not my friend, or any of ours, for that matter – but it seems like your enemies are my enemies. I do not like this, and I am sure neither do you, but... fine. I am willing to... tolerate you, for as long as this war lasts.” Henry shot him another glare, which Howard ignored.

“But after that”, he continued and his eyes narrowed, “you will never show your face again, or, and you better believe me, I will make sure you are immediately arrested and, for that, executed – traitor.”

“So, have I understood this correctly – you say there is a crawler colony only a few hours flight from here?” Howard was sitting as far away from Henry as he could and eyed him still suspiciously.

The exiled prince sighed. After they had called their forced truce, Ripred had assembled the group and asked Henry to elaborate on his plan. “Yes. And they’re good friends of mine, ever since me and... and...”, he suddenly realized this was not a good memory to share anymore since she had... “and Cevian... saved them from the cutters, almost two years ago.”

Luxa’s head darted up, she stared at him, but not really. “Cevian...?” Henry gave her a short smile. “Yeah. She was awesome that day. I would not have made it without her.” Luxa smiled back, but her eyes remained empty.

“I”, he cleared his throat, “I have tons of supplies stashed back there, everything one could ever ask for, fuel, medicine, food, ... we didn’t loot the citadel stash recently, did we?”, he asked Thanatos beside him, and his flier shook his head. “No, we actually just refilled it during our second trading run.”

“Awesome, in that case, all we’ll need to get back to Regalia should be there.” At Howard’s accusing glare he corrected himself, “all you guys need to get back to Regalia, of course.”

All of a sudden, a voice, none of them expected to hear, spoke up. “Why are we talking of going back to Regalia?” Luxa was staring at them accusingly, like she had just realized what was going on. “I told you before, I will not go back to Regalia.”

Ripred sighed. “We are not talking about taking the direct way. But we do need to get you back eventually, Your Majesty. Or do you wish to spend the rest of your days out here?” Luxa stared at him for a second, before looking away. “What are we waiting for then?”

Henry finally rose to his feet, about to call together the fliers, when he suddenly froze. “Guys...” All heads turned his way and he bit his lip, “Guys, we might have a problem.” – “Speak up, lad”, Ripred appeared next to him, and Henry quickly glanced at him, “We have not enough fliers.”

The rat glanced around, alarmed as well. “Wait, what? We do. We just have to rearrange our seatings a little. Have Gregor fly with Luxa and you with... oh.” Henry bit his lip. Who would even want to fly with him now?

“I’ll fly with you”, a voice sounded from the dark, suddenly, and Henry twirled around only to see Gregor, already having packed up what little things he had brought. “Thanatos can carry Ripred, and you can – or wait, maybe Ares should carry Ripred instead.” His gaze darted back and forth between Henry and his bond, who now approached to sit next to them.

Henry noticed he was avoiding his gaze, for the most part, but despite his hesitation, at last spoke – “That is alright. I can carry the two of you. If Thanatos does not mind.”

Henry blinked at his former bond surprised. “You... you don’t have to do that, I –”, but Ares interrupted, “I know that saddle-construction of yours helps hold on, you will have an easier time flying with him than with me, Ripred.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see if the others are alright then. You coming, Gregor?”, he asked the Overlander, already strolling away. Gregor looked at him, confused for a moment, but Ripred simply grabbed his arm and dragged him over to Luxa and Howard, leaving Henry with... Ares.

“You...”, the exiled prince was suddenly painfully aware of the awkward silence. They had not spoken properly since Ares had discovered his identity, and he thought now was a really bad time, but his former bond interrupted him – “I do not mind. I would understand if you would mind, though.”

Henry’s head jolted up. “Me? Why would I –”, he didn’t bother finishing his own sentence. He finally looked at Ares and suddenly noticed an entirely unexpected emotion in his gaze... guilt.

“Hey, you... wait, I thought you’d hate me like everyone else?” He narrowed his eyes, trying to spot any of the hostility Howard showed him in Ares’ eyes, but in the dim light, all he looked was tired.

“Hate? How could I hate you?” His voice was quiet, yet matted with something – maybe guilt, maybe worry, or pain. Or all of them. “You would have more reason to hate me, after I –”, but Henry didn’t let him finish, “I betrayed you. You had no reason to remain loyal to me. I...”, he sighed and decided he had to say it, even if there was no way he could truly ever apologize for what he had done, “I’m sorry. I really am. For everything. And I don’t hate you, in your place, I would certainly have done the same thing.”

Ares’ gaze darted up at him, almost surprised. “I can’t hold it against you, not anymore.” When Henry furrowed his brows in confusion, he continued – “because the Henry who betrayed us, betrayed me, lies dead in a pit with Gorger’s rats. You... you are someone entirely different.”

Gregor tried to keep his senses peeled, to spot anything in the darkness, but all he could perceive was what little he saw in the dim glow of the water.

Frustratedly, he bit his lip. They had taken off only a couple minutes ago and already he wished to be back in Regalia, with his mother and Boots, where there were at least walls to protect him. And here he was, on yet another stupid trip through these stupid tunnels.

Wasn’t I thinking the exact opposite thing when I was actually in Regalia – he suddenly thought – to be able to go on another trip to escape the real problems? But now Gregor realized his method didn’t work. Not when his problems continued to haunt him even here, in these tunnels. Stupid dark tunnels.

Echolocation. Once more Ripred’s words, as to how he was utterly useless without light, came to mind. But it was impossible. Or... was it?

“Hey, Henry?”, behind him, he heard an approving “Mhm?” Gregor took a deep breath. “Remember how I asked you to help me learn echolocation, a while ago?”

“Sure. You... do you still want those lessons?” Gregor nodded, before realizing it was dark all around them. “Yes. If that’s okay. I just... Part of me feels like it’s ridiculous, but part of me also looks at you and thinks it could be possible. I... I don’t know.”

He heard Henry behind him chuckle. “That’s totally fine. Hey, whenever we have time, okay?” Gregor nodded again, and before he could once more translate his nod into words, Henry interrupted him “I can see you nodding, in case you didn’t realize. It’s called, you know, echolocation.”

They laughed together for a bit and Gregor felt frustration at Howard’s behavior rise in him. It was not fair to judge Henry for that one mistake, even if it had been grave. What good he had done so far had long outweighed the bad, and yet even Gregor had not dared defend him today. He just felt like he had no right to intervene because he hadn’t known all the details, and he hadn’t been affected as much.

Somewhere, in the back of his head, something kept screaming to intervene anyway, to end the injustice, but it was always overshadowed by self-doubt, these days. Luxa’s pale, almost lifeless, face appeared in his mind and for the hundredth time, he wondered how she must be feeling now. She acted strange, like Gregor had never seen her before, and on one hand, he understood she was under a lot of pressure, but on the other, he felt like it was... more than that.

Frustrated at himself, and at everyone else, for loading even more problems on him, he opened his mouth to change the subject, to ask if everything was alright between Henry and Ares, when Thanatos, who was leading the way, with Ripred on his back, suddenly let out a cry and turned sharp left.

Ares hesitated for a moment, but then followed, so did Aurora. Gregor could barely see in the dim light, so he heard them before he spotted them. There, in the water, clinging to what looked like somewhat steadfast rotting vines, that must have drifted here from some jungle-area, were the up-and-down-bobbing heads of two... bats.

He could barely make out Thanatos diving for them, and even with Ripred on his back, he managed to dig his claws into the shoulders of the first one and lift her out of the water, and onto a small ledge, some thirty feet in the air. Ares instantly dove for the second one and did the same. Gregor could not make them out properly but he saw the one Thanatos had grabbed was dark, Ares’ was brown-ish.

Only when all the bats had landed, cramped together on the tiny ledge, and they saw the shaking, soaked bats they had saved clearly for the first time, he realized he knew one of them.

“N... Nike?” Gregor exclaimed, staring at the shuddering dark bat Thanatos had pulled out of the water and only now saw she was indeed black-and-white striped. She further had one of her wings pulled on, it looked broken.

Henry’s bond had cowered down next to her, Gregor thought he was trying to comfort her, but soon he was shoved aside by Howard who instantly inspected the broken wing.

The next fifteen minutes Howard spent tending to Nike, constantly and somewhat needlessly watched by Thanatos, while the rest of them assembled around the other bat. She seemed not injured and Gregor thought he had seen her before, but only when Howard came to check on her as well, he recognized her – “Hera? Is this really you?”

Her expression eased up instantly as she saw who it was. “Howard... oh, thank goodness you found us. Howard, you have to help her, help... the princess.” She gestured over to Nike, “I am unharmed, tend to her, tend to her!”

He still double-checked her top to bottom before deeming her unharmed and turning back to Nike, while the rest of the questers huddled around her again.

“We were with the army”, she started talking, and finally the memory of the half-starved mother bat with the three pups they had met in Longclaw’s prison returned to Gregor. He eyed her and even though she was soaked and trembling, he couldn’t help but notice she looked much healthier now. He wondered how she had been doing suddenly, and where her babies were.

But before he could ask, she kept talking – “We got caught in the flood, I do not know what happened to the soldiers who were with us.” Her voice was misted with pain now. “I remember saving myself onto a ledge, and then she washed by and I fished her out – the princess! Her wing was broken and I was too weak to fly and carry her. But the water kept streaming and it was not a steady ledge we were on. It eventually gave way and we were washed out, all I could do was cling to the vines. I had to save the princess, I had to!”

Howard, who had now finished up splinting Nike’s leg and had listened to her story as well, calmingly stroke her shoulder. “You were amazing, Hera. You saved her. She will live, and so will you.”

Only five minutes later they were in the air again, they had had to switch up seatings a little as Thanatos insisted on carrying Nike. Ares was the only other flier who could take Ripred, and Henry and Gregor had had to switch over to Hera, who had insisted she was fit to fly.

After maybe an hour of flying she was visibly falling behind and they had to land and rest. Luxa complained about the slow pace of their flight, and Gregor watched her with growing concern. Never had Luxa valued the mission over someone’s physical health or condition, and he was slowly but surely starting to get more worried about her. Nevermind if she hated him, he firmly promised himself he would talk to her soon. Whether she wanted or not.

When they could finally continue, Gregor thought it might be for the best to fill Hera in on Henry and his complicated relationship with essentially everyone here, as she would most likely find out sooner or later anyway, if she stayed with them.

She was greatly surprised by Henry being the supposedly dead prince of Regalia, but even greater surprised by how he had been a traitor. “No... they never mentioned any of that to... oh... they did not...”, she mumbled, and before Gregor could ask, Henry beat him to it. “Dalia said the same thing. Apparently, they kept the whole thing a secret... for whatever reason, beats me.”

Gregor fell silent after that. He had never given any thought to how the public had reacted to Henry’s betrayal, mainly because back then, he had immediately gone home after bonding to Ares.

In truth, he didn’t know how to feel about that, then again, why would he need to feel anything about it? It didn’t matter now, none of this did. It wasn’t his goddamn business.

“I... Hera, I want to sleep for a while, if that’s okay”, he mumbled, only now realizing how tired he actually was. When had he last gotten any sleep? His thoughts reeled back, he had been unconscious during the flood, but did that even count? He did not remember sleeping a single second, back in Regalia.

Hera only hummed approvingly and Henry moved over a little to let Gregor lie down. He finally closed his eyes, sighing, and feeling all the fatigue taking hold. He was asleep only seconds later.

Gregor only jolted up when he heard an angry scream from... somewhere. He barely registered he was lying on solid ground and that someone had lit a torch in the room, but his eyes immediately searched for the source of the scream... it was Luxa.

Gregor was confused for a moment as he saw the blade of her drawn sword glisten in the torchlight, next to her stood Howard, also with his sword raised defensively. Were they being attacked? Where were they even? Still slightly dazed from sleep, Gregor meekly searched the floor around him for his own sword.

“No! Don’t come closer –”, Howard called now, at someone... beyond the small doorway leading into the room, as Gregor realized. He finally located and grabbed the handle of his own sword and managed to get to his feet, before stumbling towards the door. He could barely see, in the dim light, but as soon as his eyes had gotten used to the dark he realized he could make out a rodent-shaped creature, cowering in the shadow of the door.

He furrowed his brows, trying to make it out better, “Hey... Ripred?” The figure had looked so much like the familiar scarred rat, in her posture and shape, but then the realization hit Gregor, Luxa and Howard would not raise their swords against Ripred, and fear suddenly clogged his throat.

The rat in the doorway gave a dry chuckle, before slowly approaching, disregarding the raised swords entirely. “Not quite.”


	18. Repression

She was a female – Gregor registered her voice was a few pitches higher than that of a male rat. A little shorter than Ripred, and her fur... For a second he blinked, confused, thinking they had stumbled upon a second white rat somehow, but no. The shade was so light it looked white in the dim light, but when Gregor looked closer, he realized it was something like a pale, washed-out grey.

But none of that was her most remarkable feature. Gregor winced a little, even lowered his sword in shock, when she finally took a last step towards them, into the light, and he got his first proper look at her face.

The entire right half of her face was one huge scar. Where the eye had been, he saw nothing but an empty socket, and no fur had grown on the scarred flesh for, how Gregor presumed, years, if not decades. It was the most gruesome scar Gregor had ever seen, even in the Underland. He opened his mouth to speak, not even knowing what exactly to say, when he was interrupted by Howard – “FREEZE!”

Luxa and her cousin were staring at the rat with equally round eyes now, she had her sword lowered like Gregor, while Howard was still holding his raised, tip pointed at the rat.

A million questions reeled in Gregor’s head – what was this rat doing here? Where even was here – were they at the crawler colony yet? And if so, what was a rat doing in a crawler colony? Was she a friendly one, like Ripred? She hadn’t attacked yet, after all. Who even was she?

But before he could ask a single one, he saw movement from the corner of his eye and realized she had turned her head, like to address something behind her. “Ah, I was wondering if these guys were your friends. They have a similar smell, especially the girl. So what is the meaning of all this, and why have you not prepared them? I told you I’d be staying here.”

Howard’s and Luxa’s gazes darted over to the space behind the rat, from where the shape of Henry now emerged. He had been carrying a bucket of water but froze mid-way through the door when faced with the scene.

“You... you KNOW this rat?” Howard’s tone was as icy as Luxa’s expression, and Gregor saw Henry’s gaze darken. “And this is why I didn’t prepare them”, he mumbled quietly, presumably at the rat.

Gregor saw Howard had already opened his mouth to say something when she broke into almost hysteric-sounding laughter. “Oh... OH, don’t tell me you were afraid of the obligatory rat-jokes, don’t tell me it is THAT easy nowadays to crush your spirits!” She giggled for a solid minute while Henry just uncomfortably stood in the doorframe, avoiding all gazes.

“I can’t believe I even worried about you, Kismet”, he mumbled, “why would anyone worry about you? You’ll outlive us all anyway – save Ripred, maybe. But he’s something entirely else now, is he not?”

She laughed a little louder at his words, before abruptly stopping. “You worried for me? Really?” It sounded mocking but somehow Gregor had a feeling she was genuinely touched, from the way she seemed to be looking at Henry now. He just made a face in her direction and picked his bucket back up, only to carry it over to the torch.

“Hey!”, Howard called now, looking back and forth between the rat and Henry. “Would anyone explain what is going on here at last?”

“You are not the brightest, are you?”, she remarked in his direction, almost casually slouching down against the wall. Gregor heard Henry suppress a chuckle behind him and inevitably asked himself how well they knew each other. They seemed to be fairly close – how had he called her? Kismet? Gregor narrowed his eyes, the name had sounded familiar. Had Henry ever mentioned her before?

He looked back at her, already opening his mouth to ask his questions when she beat him to it. “So, they all know your little secret, am I right?”, she asked in Henry’s direction and he spun around to her. “Well, it would explain why they all seem so hostile with you – hence the assumption about the rat jokes”, she answered his unspoken question, and Henry rolled his eye. “I... I don’t want to talk about it.” All she did was chuckle.

“So – who do we have here”, she lifted herself off the wall now and casually walked past Howard, disregarding his raised blade. “You can put that toothpick down, you know? Had I wanted to harm you, I’d have crushed your skull between my jaws already. Or something along the lines. I’d have come up with something for sure”, she remarked in his direction, and Howard was so baffled he actually lowered his sword.

“Ah, you mean no harm, am I right? I’m just a rat, and you have your friends to protect.” She sniffed in his direction, “or family. My mistake.” He opened his mouth to speak but she continued – “You’re the responsible one, aren’t you? Battle is not your forte, but you will not let harm befall your loved ones. Let me guess, he’s the nitpicky mom-friend who always got you in trouble as a kid, am I right, Henry?”

Gregor’s gaze darted over to him and Henry chuckled. “You got that one right. Also, I almost forgot you were so good at this, it’s really creepy actually, you know?”

She returned his laugh and strolled past Howard until she stood before Luxa. Gregor thought she was narrowing her remaining eye, before retreating a little again. Was she short-sighted?

“The picture in my book is a decade old, but by the crown you wear, I am standing before princess – or queen – Luxa herself, am I not?” Luxa was standing, frozen still, the knuckles on the hand, she was holding the now lowered sword with, shone white. “Yes, yes... you even smell like him, you know?” Her gaze darted over to Henry while Luxa visibly tensed up more.

The rat narrowed her eye. “You... you are a free spirit with much to live for, but you have lost so much you can barely bring yourself to believe in a bright future anymore.” Gregor saw Luxa retreat a little, “Do not fret, pup, you are surrounded with people who would lay down their lives for you in a second – be grateful for what you still have instead of lingering on the past, it is gone, it can’t harm you anymore – the present can.”

The sword slipped from her grip and hit the floor with a loud clanking sound, Gregor’s thoughts were reeling – she had never met any of them before, except Henry, had she? How was she doing this?

Only when he heard silent footsteps approach, he realized she was now standing before him. Now, with how close she was, Gregor saw the scar on her face was by far not the only one she had. Her entire body was covered with them, and she looked like she had not had a proper meal in ages. Her thin fur barely concealed how emaciated and bony she was.

“You –”, she suddenly drew closer, sniffing him and narrowing her eye. Only now Gregor saw it seemed misted, she must really not see well, he thought. “An Overlander – I have not seen one of you in ages. Especially of your young age. What brings you to the Underland, pup?”

Gregor blinked a couple times, staring at her, like they all did now. He tried to think of a good answer, but there was not really any. “I... that’s none of your concern!”

Her eye widened, like she hadn’t expected this answer, and in truth, Gregor hadn’t expected it himself. But who was he even, after everything he and his friends had experienced at the hands of the rats, to willingly give any sort of answer to one – no matter how nice she seemed. Twirltongue had seemed nice too, and she had wanted to kill him. What if this one... Kismet, or whoever she was, was like that too?

“So you are the one with the most amount of sense left here”, she chuckled, “interesting, and somewhat unexpected – nothing personal.” Before Gregor could say something, she already continued – “Right, why should you tell me anything, I’m a rat, and you have probably not experienced anything good by the hands of those so far, if my species has not fundamentally changed, over the last decade. It was maybe even the first thing you learned about the Underland – do not trust the rats. Was that what they immediately hammered into your head?”

Gregor didn’t know why, but as cautious as he remained, mainly to avoid another episode like the one with Twirltongue, this rat didn’t give off that sort of... feeling. Maybe it was just how she still reminded him so much of Ripred, maybe it was her connection to Henry.

She followed the gaze he threw at him and glanced around the room, at Luxa and Howard, before she gave something like a smile – if rats could even smile.

“How about this – will it elevate your opinion of me if I –”, but before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a different voice now sounding from the direction of the door – “Nothing will elevate their opinion of rats, not even your charms. After all, I’ve been trying for two years now, and they still have not learned a single thing.”

She instantly spun around and Gregor thought her posture looked almost defensive. He could see the tense muscles underneath her thin fur.

“Do you know this rat, Ripred?”, Howard suddenly asked, pointing at her with his sword. Ripred now emerged from the doorway and Gregor thought he looked as tense as the female rat. “Know?”, he carefully drew closer, keeping his eyes on her at all times. “Used to know describes it better, I think.”

Gregor furrowed his brows, he thought Ripred’s voice sounded almost bitter, like he had never heard before. Gregor inevitably wondered what the deal was with the two rats. Did they have some sort of history?

“But in regards as to whether you can trust her...”, he picked up again, “trust her like you trust me. Ask the lad over there, if that doesn’t convince you. From what I’ve heard he owes her his life and more”, he snarled, before he seemed to remember something – “Oh, wait, that’s not going to help because you don’t trust him either anymore. Oh well, figure it out yourselves, then.” With that, he turned back and strolled out of the room, leaving the four kids alone with... Kismet?

“What do you mean – we can TRUST her?” All gazes were still on Henry as Howard spoke. Gregor visibly saw him clench his jaw. “I mean it as I said it.”

She – the rat – had left the room soon after Ripred, without saying much, and ever since then, all attention was on Henry. “She... who is she even?”, Luxa’s cousin eyed him with narrowed eyes and Gregor turned his head to look at him too now – he was as interested in that as the others.

Only Luxa had remained in the background, and Gregor found himself torn between listening to Henry and wanting to check on her.

“Kismet”, he heard Henry sigh now, “She’s a hermit outcast who formerly lived in the Firelands... until she had to evacuate here when her home was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Ripred sent me to her, almost one and a half years ago to... to learn how to deal with my missing eye.” Gregor, who had just eyed Luxa again, jerked around in his direction. That’s where he had heard the name before!

 _I did search out Kismet – check. I studied under her, for almost seven months even – check. I learned to, what you referred to as, “fight like no human has ever fought before” –_ Henry’s speech before he had challenged Ripred to the duel came to his mind and Gregor’s eyes widened. “You... she was the one who taught you echolocation!”

All heads turned to him now and Henry nodded. “She taught me most things I know about echolocation... and fighting, for that manner. I lived with her for nearly seven months, and I...”, his gaze darted over to Howard, “I owe her my life. Hate her for that, if you like, I don’t care.”

Howard only stared at him, most likely not having expected that answer. “I... I will not allow any of you to badmouth her or box her in with the other rats!”, Henry suddenly called and raised his hand to point at Howard, “That would be as ridiculous as doing that to Ripred. She does not live with them, nor does she sympathize much with them, so I won’t have any stupid prejudice thrown at her, I won’t allow it!”

“Like you don’t live with the humans anymore, you mean?”, Howard had apparently forgotten he had been forced to call a truce with Henry. “I – I’d prefer her company over yours any day!”, Henry fired back, angrily pointing at Howard before turning around and storming out of the room, presumably to look for Kismet or Ripred.

An awkward silence followed his leaving and Gregor swore if the tension would get any higher he’d see physical electric discharge. “Rats... and more rats, aren’t they who we are fighting in this war?”, Howard mumbled before sitting down against the wall.

“I... I’ll go check on the bats, maybe.” Gregor couldn’t stay here, not with how loaded the atmosphere was. He suddenly felt it was hard to breathe, he needed to get out of here before he would suffocate. Throwing a last glance at Luxa who was staring at the floor now, he hurried out of the room.

The tunnel was narrow and the ceiling lowered and lowered until Gregor had to bow down in order to not hit his head. For the first time, he realized he had no idea where he was even going – or where he was, for that matter. He was alone, in this dark, narrow tunnel, with no light and no means to orientate himself.

Panic started clogging his throat as he quickened his pace, the tunnel had to lead somewhere, after all. He was so occupied suppressing the upcoming panic attack he only heard the voices when he had almost reached the end of the tunnel.

“... stay there for a few days. The colony was deserted, after all.” Gregor froze in his tracks. That voice... it belonged to the rat, the female one... Kismet. It was so loud it sounded like it came from the adjacent cave, and she was clearly talking to someone. Gregor had no light though, so no means to find out who it was.

“A couple days later I started making my way back”, she soon continued, “but then I realized it was so close... so... almost in reach. I had to... to go and see.” – “The Garden?” Gregor almost winced when he heard Ripred’s voice. It was quiet, almost bitter, like he had never heard before. His question was followed by silence.

“They were not there. I knew they wouldn’t be, I did not honestly believe... but I had to see for myself.” Gregor furrowed his brows, what was she talking about?

“And what did you find instead?”, Ripred asked, the bitterness in his voice was even more apparent now. “Ha”, she snorted, “A cave system filled with water, is what I found. The water level has sunken a couple feet, naturally, probably absorbed by the surrounding earth. It is all gone. No trace of the battle, of the bloodshed, the atrocities, remains, all has been claimed by nature. Then again, it has been, what, twelve years?”

That was when Gregor finally stepped out of the tunnel. He had just remembered how listening in on conversations had ended for him last time, and had decided he was through with that. “I – eh...”

Both rats spun around to him instantly, in the dim light seeping in from somewhere Gregor barely saw their silhouettes. “Oh, look who is here. You done with your friends in there?” Ripred sounded normal again, but Gregor could have sworn he still heard suppressed bitterness in his voice.

He nodded. “I...”, his gaze fell on Kismet, “you...” Suddenly he realized in how awkward of a position he was. He had left his friends because he hadn’t been able to stand the hostile atmosphere but did he really disagree with them when they didn’t trust her... Kismet?

“Don’t be too hard on yourself for this, Overland-pup.” Gregor’s head jolted around as he heard her voice. “You don’t have to trust me to have a reason to get away from what I assume was a heated fight, from how Henry looked when he passed through here. Said he wanted to look for the fliers. Is that your excuse too?”

Gregor stared at her face and made out a contented, almost relaxed, expression. And suddenly he desperately wanted her to be a good guy. He couldn’t explain why, but the urge to drop all hostility was enormous. Then again, there was also the part in his brain that remembered Twirltongue.

“You appear in his life at a bad time”, Ripred sounded suddenly. “He has just gone through a rather embarrassing, if I may say so, episode with our good friend Tonguetwist’s daughter, Twirltongue, ever since then I can imagine trusting rats has become far harder for our dear boy.”

Gregor clenched his jaw and threw Ripred a death glare – did he have to declare that story publicly now?

“Tonguetwist had a daughter? Oh, I can see how that would be a problem”, Kismet spoke again now, Gregor thought he saw something like a knowing gleam in her gaze.

“She is all her mother, too. She had the boy here wrapped around the tip of her tail in only minutes”, Ripred chuckled, and Gregor felt his cheeks burning of shame. “Oh, stop shaming him, Ripred, I am fairly certain he has learned his lesson. And, as I already mentioned to Henry, barely anyone resists the lures of Tonguetwist – or her daughter, apparently.” She gave a dry chuckle, “Because I do seem to remember a time when you weren’t opposed to everything Tonguetwist said either.”

Gregor jolted around to Ripred and saw the rat bare his teeth. “THAT... that was a long time ago.” Gregor blinked a few times – was Ripred... embarrassed? “I was... young. I lacked experience and wisdom, and...” – “... and she was oh so... convincing.” Kismet’s voice was a mix of sarcasm and, to Gregor’s surprise, a little bit of bitterness. Ripred audibly inhaled. “You – YOU... that is NOT THE POINT NOW.” Gregor had to suppress a chuckle and threw Kismet a thankful glance. Maybe she really was nice.

But Ripred had already recovered and apparently, prepared a counterstrike. “Then again – if we ARE currently listing fatal past mistakes that would be best to remain forgotten – why don’t we talk about how your oh-so-close and trusting alliance with that bastard Gorger started?”

Gregor stared at Kismet now and saw her wince back. “You –”, she was at a loss of words. Gregor’s gaze darted between the two, now cowering on opposite sides of the small cave, throwing each other death glares.

Was he not destined for a peaceful, drama-free day today or what was going on? Gregor sighed and bit his lip – what did Ripred mean when he said “alliance with Gorger”? A fresh wave of worry engulfed him now as he eyed Kismet, suspiciously again.

“W... what do you mean by –”, but before he could ask, someone interrupted him – “You two really sound like the bickering old-couple stereotype, you know? Who’d have thought.” Gregor’s gaze met the silhouette of Henry standing in the opposite doorway, arms crossed.

Both Ripred and Kismet hissed at him angrily, but he just laughed. “I think you should maybe leave them to themselves, Gregor. Come, the fliers will want to see you. More than these two, for sure.”

Gregor threw a couple glances back as he followed Henry through a small tunnel that led upward until he pushed aside a big rock and the two finally emerged outside.

“Welcome to the citadel”, Henry exclaimed and pointed his freshly lit torch at the looming structure that now rose behind them. Gregor’s jaw dropped, he inspected the fortress-like construction and had trouble believing the cockroaches had built it all on their own, then again, he could totally see them as skilled craftsmen.

When he glanced around more, he saw they were standing in a huge cave with three exit tunnels, in front of one he saw the remains of a huge boulder. It must have crashed down from the ceiling at some point, he thought.

“The fliers are staying in a nearby cave, they can’t fit through the entrance”, Henry explained as he led the way down the right path. Gregor was silently following, contemplating how to ask what was on his mind. “Hey, Henry –?” He stopped and turned around, “Yeah?” For the first time, Gregor noticed how tired he looked. The huge purple circle around his eye was back, and his hair was disheveled, only loosely tied.

“I...”, Gregor hesitated. From how Henry looked, he could perfectly live without any additional problems, but he sighed and interrupted him – “You want to know why I trust her... despite the fact that she used to be an ally of Gorgers, as you now learned.”

Gregor averted his eyes. “I... I mean, I know you were –”, but Henry didn’t let him finish. “No. That has nothing to do with me or what I did. I...”, he sighed again, “It’s a long story, and one I’m not supposed to talk about, but if you promise you won’t tell on me, I can tell you the basics. Just so that you understand my trust in her has nothing to do with... with...”, he bit his lip and Gregor nodded. “I promise.”

Gregor was chewing on his fish almost listlessly. It was plentiful, the cockroaches were great hosts, and grilled, they had the fuel after all, but he had eaten so much fish, these last couple weeks, that it had lost its appeal.

Furthermore, he couldn’t stop thinking about the story Henry had revealed earlier. Kismet – or Whitespur, as Henry had said was her real name – a former general of Gorgers, betrayed and left for the humans after leading the defense on the Garden of the Hesperides. No wonder she seemed to hate her own species as much as Ripred did.

Gregor searched the cave where the bats usually slept, and where they were having dinner now, with his eyes. Kismet wasn’t here, but his eyes caught Ripred, slouched in a corner, a little away from everyone, seeming deep in thought, and for the first time he thought about whether he maybe had a similar backstory. Mrs. Cormaci’s words came to mind – _The rat, what’s he got? No real home, no family, he has to fight all the time. You know, everybody needs a little joy in their life._ And for the first time, he thought he actually understood them.

“So when are we leaving?”, Luxa’s voice sounded now, she had stood up, already having finished her dinner, and was throwing an almost challenging glance at Ripred.

“Nike and Hera need a few day’s rest”, Thanatos answered instead, from where he sat, next to Henry, against the opposite wall. “Nike can not fly, and Hera can not strain herself too much yet. We will have to stay here at least a day more.”

Luxa frowned, angrily tossing the remains of her fish into a corner, before storming off. Gregor just about saw her disappear into the entrance to the citadel. For the hundredth time, he wondered if he should follow her, to ask what was going on, when a voice behind him suddenly spoke – “Gregor, you must help her.”

He twirled around only to blink a couple times as he stared into the visibly worried face of... “Aurora?” Luxa’s bond barely talked to anyone but her, and yet here she was, staring at Gregor from her huge, pale blue eyes.

She averted her gaze, as if the situation was as uncomfortable for her as it was for Gregor, but finally spoke – “I do not know who else to turn to. Luxa, she... she cares deeply for you, so I think she would want me to ask you to help, was she...”, the golden bat hesitated, “in the mind to do so.”

Gregor’s head was spinning. “I... I want to help, but... but what can I do?” Aurora sighed. “Ever since she discovered he was...”, her gaze darted over to Henry, who had just stood up to pack away the cooking utensils, “she...” Aurora was visibly struggling for words and Gregor felt a wave of compassion for her. She had trouble with words in general, and here she was, having to explain this presumably complicated problem to someone she had barely ever exchanged a couple words with.

“I do not... I can not feel any hostility towards him myself, not anymore.” Her gaze was still on Henry, “I can not forgive the pain he has caused Luxa, but I understand it lies in the past.”

Gregor swallowed and nodded, gratefully. The other bats must have talked to her, Thanatos or Ares, maybe. “What about Nike?”, he asked suddenly, “Does she know?” Aurora nodded. “Nike feels the same way. It is easier for her to forgive, as she has not witnessed what he had done.”

Gregor nodded and bit his lip, glancing back at the entrance where Luxa had disappeared to. “But Luxa...”, the golden bat sighed. “She is... confused. I believe she does not fully understand what has happened, and how she is to feel or act. I have never seen her like this before.” Gregor eyed her now, more worried than ever. Aurora had surely known Luxa for longer than anyone here, and if even she was saying... “I do not know how to help her”, she continued, “and I do not know who else to turn to.”

He threw her a glance and nodded instantly. If Aurora was here, talking to him, willingly, it must be more than serious. Gregor felt like his worst fears, concerning Luxa, had just been confirmed. Something was definitely wrong, and he couldn’t help but feel responsible.

I kept his secret from her, he thought, had I only told her – “I’ll do my best. I’ll talk to her. I promise.” And even if she was mad at him, if she would send him away, Gregor thought, it wouldn’t matter. He had to try.

“Hey... can... can I sit with you for a while?” Gregor’s gaze darted from Luxa before him over to Henry in one, Howard in the other corner. They were slightly illuminated by a torch burning, only a couple feet away from him, and both firmly sleeping.

They didn’t really need to keep watch here, but Luxa hadn’t even lied down. Gregor had found her in this exact position, when he had returned to their camp inside the citadel, after dinner. She had not moved an inch.

Luxa didn’t react, she just blankly stared at the opposite wall. Gregor swallowed, everything in him screamed to retreat, but his promise to Aurora burned in his mind, and he hesitantly sat down next to her, following her gaze almost automatically.

“You... are you still mad at me?” It wasn’t the best way to start a conversation, but he didn’t really know where else to start. She didn’t immediately move, and after a couple seconds of silence, Gregor was about to repeat his question, when she finally turned his way. “I...”, she stared at him, but Gregor thought she wasn’t looking at him at all. Her gaze was blank, like he was translucent and she was staring at the wall behind him. “I was... mad at you... was I not?”

Gregor blinked a couple times, confused. “You... did you forget?” She blinked back before her gaze, once more, darted over to... Only now Gregor realized all this time she had been staring at Henry.

“I remember I was mad at you. I... I had a reason...”, she mumbled, almost like in a trance. Gregor’s own worry rose. “You... hey, if you don’t remember anymore, we can –”, but she interrupted him, “You kept a secret from me. Something important. I remember now...”

Gregor sighed. For a second he had hoped she had forgotten, as weird as her state was, he didn’t want her to be mad at him. “Gregor...” She turned back to him, her gaze still empty, but this time, she was properly looking at him. “Gregor... do I... know him?” Her eyes darted back over to Henry.

He furrowed his brows. What was she...? But before he could answer, she continued – “I feel like I know his face. Like I know him. Not as the Death Rider, Gregor, I know him... as someone else. I... I think I do. But every time I try to remember, every time I try to force myself to remember, there is this mist... this cloud in my head. Gregor, it’s always there, I can not remember. It tries to keep it a secret, it tries to keep me from seeing the truth. Why is it doing that, Gregor? Why is it –”, she broke off mid-sentence, exhaling audibly.

Gregor’s head was spinning. What... why would she not remember? Did she suffer some sort of memory loss? But how was that possible?

“Gregor...”, she whispered and he automatically inched closer to her, “Where... Gregor, where am I? What am I... doing here? What... what happened, Gregor?” He felt a huge lump in his throat, his heart was pounding out of his chest now. “Luxa, are you alright?” He knew the question was silly, she was not alright. “You... you’re not, are you? I... we need to get you home.” Goodness, what had he done.

“No!”, she called, and Gregor saw Henry twitch in his sleep, but luckily, he didn’t wake up. “I... I am here, here, because we have war. We have war, have we not?” Gregor could do nothing but nod. “I am here because I have a mission, I can not... can not fail. I can not fail.”

Gregor saw a tear glisten in her eye and instantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder – screw all the stupid customs regarding dating queens and him being an Overlander. She was crying – he couldn’t just sit by and watch.

She now clung to his arm like a lifeline. “Luxa, you... you know who he is!”, Gregor called, pointing at Henry, “you found out yourself!” She only stared at him, blankly, again, “Luxa, he is Henry! Henry, your cousin, he is here – he’s always been here!”

She blinked slowly, like trying to grasp what he had just said, before abruptly letting go of his arm. “Gregor... you... stop joking, this is not funny.” Her face was dead serious. “Henry is... dead. He died... died... two years ago. You were there, Gregor. How can you say it is him...?”

Gregor stared at her – “What – but I thought you... you got his message, you...”, but before he could finish, she interrupted him, sitting up straight now, her voice cold as ice. “Henry is dead. He can not be here. It is impossible. Or do you believe in ghosts, Gregor?”

He didn’t even know where he had found the strength to stand up or move his legs, all Gregor knew was, he had to get away. He didn’t look back as he ran out of the cave, he just couldn’t... look at her anymore. His head was spinning, he felt like he was on the verge of passing out.

Luxa... something was wrong with her. She was... sick, or something. He only saw her blank stare and he knew she had to be. The way she had spoken, the way she –

“What happened?” Gregor almost ran into a wall as he heard the snarling voice to his left. He barely registered it was... “You smell of fear, Overland-pup. What has you so scared?”... Kismet.

Gregor looked up at her in the dim light seeping in from somewhere and realized they were in the same cave where Ripred and her had talked earlier. He looked at her, saw the wise but concerned expression in her eye, and suddenly he realized he didn’t care anymore. All that had happened poured from his mouth like a flood, the Prophecy of Time, the war, his role as warrior, the drama around Henry’s identity, the state Luxa was in, and how he feared to drown in problems that weren’t even directly his in a lot of cases.

Kismet listened without interrupting once. When he finally fell silent, she pondered for a moment. “You will kill yourself prematurely if you keep worrying for everyone like you do now.” She gave him a crooked smile, “Ripred mentioned you were Sandwich’s warrior, but... you have a big heart, pup, and maturity far beyond your age. But you can not worry for everyone all the time. Henry is not your problem – he can take care of himself, we both know that.”

He blinked at her a couple times, realizing she was right. “When it comes to your child-queen though”, Kismet suddenly sighed, “I believe the problem won’t be solved that easily.”


	19. Present and Past

“Perhaps the most important thing is to focus – not on your thoughts, but on your senses, on what is around – Gregor, are you listening?”

He jerked up, staring at Henry, somewhat guilty. “I... I’m sorry.” Henry shook his head. “I thought you wanted this lesson? At least pay attention then, will you?”

Gregor averted his gaze in shame. After last night’s conversation with Luxa, and then with Kismet, he hadn’t slept well. He knew he needed to do something, to occupy his thoughts, so he had asked Henry for the echolocation lesson he had promised him, but he still had trouble keeping his thoughts at bay.

“Hey, is something wrong?” Gregor looked up once more and saw Henry was frowning now. He had set his torch down, the only light source in this part of the citadel, and stared at him, concerned.

Gregor knew he had to tell him at some point. He needed to know, especially if he wanted to help Luxa. But he didn’t want to load more problems on Henry than he had to, he was visibly strained and sleep-deprived, even more so than yesterday.

Gregor clenched his jaw in frustration – why was everyone being such a huge jerk nowadays? The quest to save the mice had brought their little gang, the questers, as he still called them, so close together, and now, it seemed to be falling apart, right before Gregor’s own eyes.

It was not the trip, he suddenly realized, that made me feel safer than I felt in Regalia – it was the team. Their team. The fact that they were all together and looking out for each other – that had been the feeling of security and happiness he hadn’t been able to recreate, ever since his return to Regalia.

“Just spill it, Gregor, you won’t be able to focus anyway before you get this off your chest”, Henry disrupted his thoughts. Gregor sighed. “I... I talked to... to Luxa, yesterday.”

Henry immediately froze, before visibly biting his lip. “...about me?” Gregor nodded. “But... but... it’s not that easy. She...” He sighed and described Luxa’s... condition to the best of his abilities. Henry’s face grew darker and darker, the more he talked. When he finally mentioned his conversation with Kismet after, and what her theory on the whole thing had been, he plopped on the floor, almost resigned.

“A... mental block, caused by a traumatic event? But I...”, he stopped mid-sentence and Gregor nervously shifted in place. “I didn’t understand all of it either, she... she said finding out you were alive, and, were... well, you – the Death Rider, who she saw as a hero and friend – so fundamentally turned her beliefs and established truths upside down, her brain... failed to process it... or something. And now it led to her being stuck in this state where she’s holding on to how you’re supposed to be dead, even if logic and her own observations tell her it’s wrong.”

Gregor bit his lip, trying to make out Henry’s expression in the shade, but he was facing the floor now. He went over what he had just said in his head, had he repeated all of that correctly? He understood the concept of it, but he hadn’t had the mind to remember too many details of what Kismet had said yesterday.

“So, she... she knows it’s me... but doesn’t at the same time?” Henry raised his head now, and the expression in his eye Gregor could only describe as... broken. “She can’t... believe... process... comprehend... whatever – that I’m... a good guy now?”

Trying to keep his legs from shaking, Gregor sat down next to him, leaning on the cold stone wall. “That... I...” He wanted to deny it, but... that was essentially what it was. “Look, you... Kismet, she said you were the only one who could get her out of it.”

Henry turned his way, “Me? But she... doesn’t want to know, does she?” Gregor shook his head. “It’s... Kismet said it’s less deliberate, more... you know, subconscious. I didn’t really understand that part, to be perfectly honest, ask her about it if you want to know details, but the important thing is – you are the only one who can get her out of it. If... if you – YOU – can prove to her you’re alive, that you’re you. She said Luxa won’t hear it from anyone else, but she may from you.”

Henry turned away again. “And how am I supposed to do that?” His voice dripped with bitterness. “She won’t even look at me, let alone speak to me. She... she erected a whole mental blockade to be able to keep pretending I’m... dead.”

Gregor’s head was spinning. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Henry must be feeling right now, but he also knew he had to get him to help her. “She... did. But you still love her, don’t you?”

Henry sighed. “I will always love her. I wasn’t the best at showing it in the past, but I do.” – “Then try. Please. For her.” Gregor couldn’t deny his motive was semi-selfish – he wanted to help Luxa, no matter what, because he cared about her – but he also knew the fate of the entire Underland might depend on the mental state of its queen. “Please.”

Henry opened his mouth to respond, but, after a few seconds of silence, closed it again. Instead, he averted his gaze and nodded.

The two sat in silence for a while, and Gregor thought maybe it was finally time to ask Henry what exactly had happened to him, these past two years. He had been meaning for a while now, but they had always been on the move, with little time for stories. And after a moment of hesitation, Henry had willingly started talking.

Gregor knew he had most likely left out some things, but his head was still spinning from the tale Henry had shared with him. They had sat there for more than an hour, and Gregor had listened – eager, but also unbelieving and full of horror at times. Had he had trouble understanding how the Henry he seemed to remember from their first quest, turned into the Death Rider before – he perfectly understood now.

Thanatos’ words came to mind - _I will not allow him to suffer because of this, not anymore. No more suffering._ Gregor realized he hadn’t been able to fully grasp their meaning before. Now he did.

And then, Henry had finally concluded with his decision to leave for the uncharted lands, after the episode with Dalia. “That... I didn’t even think about how hard that must have been for you, to see her do essentially the same thing you did”, Gregor sighed, and Henry nodded. “And worse, she had been turned by the same rat who had turned me, back then.”

Gregor suddenly remembered Henry had mentioned something along the lines of that, in Longclaw’s prison, only nobody had known he was Henry yet, back then. “Tonguetwist... she was Twirltongue’s mother, right?” Henry nodded. “I’m eternally happy she is dead, though I worry her daughter will take her place now.”

Gregor thought Henry was right and suddenly asked himself how great her influence on the Bane was – what she had made him believe by now. “I... I’m sorry you had to suffer so much”, he thought he owed him some sort of response, “but I guess you did find your true calling out here. And Thanatos too.”

Henry threw him a grateful smile. “Yeah... I think, to an extent, I needed this. But Gregor”, he suddenly raised an eyebrow before standing up, “weren’t we actually here for an echolocation lesson?”

“So, what am I doing wrong?” Henry gave him a somewhat forced smile. “A lot, probably.” They had both risen up and Gregor saw no more than Henry’s silhouette in the dim light. The torch must have nearly burned out.

“I... Alright.” He came to a halt before Gregor, “Where did we leave off? Right – you have to try and essentially shut down your thoughts. Focus on sensory input only, your hearing, what you can smell, and otherwise perceive. What do you usually do to make the sound?”

“I... click my tongue”, Gregor mumbled, “is that alright?” To his surprise, Henry chuckled. “That is probably the only thing you can absolutely NOT mess up. Echolocation works with every sound, whether you snap your fingers, click your tongue – or yodel, for all I care. Alright.” He took a step towards the torch, “Let’s start with a small exercise then. Remember, maybe 90% of your chance at success with echolocation depends on your mindset.”

He took another step towards the torch, “Then go ahead –”, and with one motion extinguished it, leaving them in complete darkness – “Try and find me.”

Gregor blinked a couple times, trying to follow the instructions. He instinctively closed his eyes, even though it made no difference. How was he supposed to – then he jerked around. He had heard something that sounded like footsteps behind him. “There!” He pointed in the direction, instantly realizing he had not even tried clicking his tongue.

To his surprise, Henry’s voice sounded from the darkness, “Very good. Now try and keep facing me, wherever I move.” Gregor furrowed his brows, “But I... I didn’t even try to use echolocation. How is that good?”

Henry laughed. “Gregor, I can’t possibly expect you to use echolocation actively before you pass the threshold. It’s impossible. Besides, don’t forget the easiest way is often the best. And even after you pass the threshold, there ain’t nothing wrong with using the sounds someone makes to localize them, instead of going out of your way and losing valuable seconds by making your noise.”

Gregor blinked into the darkness, and couldn’t help but be eternally grateful having someone more open-minded as a teacher for once. Maybe the reason he had always associated echolocation with something negative, had been because Ripred had behaved so much like a jerk.

They kept practicing for another hour, all sorts of hearing- and perception-related exercises, and Gregor had quickly found Henry was a much more pleasant teacher than Ripred, in almost every way. He scolded him not once, even when he couldn’t immediately do something, all he said was, that there was plenty of time to still practice that later. Further, he never demanded more of him than Gregor could handle, and at the end of the day, it was even kind of fun.

Soon, they moved over from simple exercises to sharpen senses to practicing and getting familiar with the sound he had chosen. Henry would position him before a wall, and tell him to make the noise, then have Gregor turn around, and make it again, to listen for the difference.

At first, Gregor heard nothing, but when Henry told him to take a step closer to the wall, so that he was only around a foot away, he heard it for the first time. The sound was only slightly different, but he could tell the difference at all, which he could almost not believe. Henry told him to subtly increase the space between him and the wall and listen carefully, and to his own surprise, Gregor found he started hearing a difference even at greater distances soon.

“But I... don’t see anything. Is that not the whole point?”, he asked, after another thirty minutes. His lessons with Ripred had always felt like they took forever, while now, he felt the time almost fly by.

Henry behind him hummed. “That’ll come after the threshold. You see, the brain always receives information from soundwaves, it’s the visualization-part we have to tediously teach it. It’ll come, Gregor, I promise. You just have to keep practicing.”

“But didn’t you say it doesn’t work like that?” He instinctively turned in the direction of Henry’s voice. “Well, what I meant was, practice is not enough. Just”, he hesitated for a moment, “how about this – every time you do this same exercise now, which you should regularly, daily, if possible, you go into it telling yourself this will be the time you’ll succeed. Tell it to yourself out loud if you must, even if it sounds ridiculous. But do it. CONVINCE yourself you can make that noise and SEE the wall. Only with that mindset, the practice will pay off, and only like that.”

Gregor pondered for a second and came to the conclusion Henry probably knew what he was talking about. “I... I’ll mind your advice, I promise.”

“Great”, came the response, “because we’ve been here for almost three hours, I think, and I still have to go back and make lunch.”

“So, is Henry a better teacher than me?” Gregor’s head turned in Ripred’s direction, the rat was gnawing on a fish, lazily lying on his side. Their whole group was in the middle of lunch, and the bats had just announced they were in somewhat of a condition to travel again.

“Actually, yes, he is. I learned more in one of his lessons than in all of yours so far.” Okay, maybe that was a little exaggerated, but it almost felt like it to Gregor. In just one singular lesson Henry had managed to turn his entire view on echolocation around, from something tedious and exhausting to something he even found himself almost having fun practicing.

“Oh – is that so?” Ripred’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, “alright then, let the lad worry about making you a more capable fighter then, I have better things to do anyway.” He really tried not to let it show, but Gregor thought he sounded somewhat jealous. Oh well, should he. Served him right for being a jerk, Gregor thought.

“So, where do these tunnels lead? If we can travel, we must establish a plan”, Howard suddenly spoke, and Henry sighed, before approaching him. “There is a way from here to the lake you know already, the one we camped at when traveling to save your sister. I believe I can lead you there. And from then on, we should have a clear path to Regalia.”

Before Howard could scold him for talking like he’d be going with them to Regalia, a different voice suddenly sounded – “Your path won’t be as clear, I’m afraid.” All heads jolted around to where Kismet now emerged from the cave entrance. “The most recent volcanic eruption has changed the landscape around here somewhat significantly, the Path of Styx has been partially destroyed. You can’t go that way.” Henry exchanged a look with her, “Then... can you lead us?”

Howard instantly raised his voice to protest – “I will not follow the lead of a rat!” – “You have followed Ripred’s lead before, have you not?”, Henry shot back, and Howard bit his lip. “We can trust Ripred.”

“Then TRUST me”, Ripred suddenly spoke, “that you can trust her. If she says she knows the way, she won’t lead you on. What reason would a hermit like her have to lure you into a trap, hm? She didn’t even know the Bane had risen and we had war until I told her. So for goodness sake, get over yourself, at last.”

Howard still looked skeptical, and Gregor decided he’d had enough. After his late-night conversation with her, and hearing from Henry how much he actually owed her, he realized he didn’t doubt her trustworthiness anymore. “I’ll follow her”, he spoke, to everyone’s surprise. “If Ripred says we can trust her, I’ll trust her.” Henry too, he thought, but decided it would be more damaging than beneficial to say that.

After a long silence, Ares, who had whispered with the other bats, raised his gaze. “We too think Ripred’s choice to trust her is enough. We will go with her as well.” Gregor gave him a grateful nod. “And besides, it’s not like Ripred is LEAVING us with her. He’ll be right there!” He gestured in the rat’s direction. “Do you WANT to get lost again or what?”

Before Howard could speak, Luxa finally raised her gaze. “You know a way to where we must go?” Kismet, who had somewhat curiously followed the conversation, turned in her direction. “I do. Though I don’t remember agreeing to lead you anywhere.”

“Oh, come on, it’s not like you don’t have anything better to do”, Henry shot at her, “We could use your help. We all could. This war may not be yours right now, but what if the Bane finds out about you? What if he decides to view you as a threat and sends his army to kill you? If you’re with us, you won’t be alone against him anymore.”

She glanced at him from a narrowed eye. “You... the humans? Help the humans...?”, her gaze met Luxa again and she seemed to ponder. “Luxa is not her father”, Ripred spoke up, “and I do recall hearing someone talk about how you were “above hating a whole species”.”

Kismet shot him a glare, before turning to Luxa again. “You could indeed use my help. All of you.” She regarded the whole group for a moment, “I’m not getting my solitude back anytime soon, aren’t I?”, she mumbled, before addressing them properly – “Well, then it is settled. I’ll lead you.”

They decided to immediately depart, not without thanking the cockroaches for their extended hospitality and packing their trunks full of supplies. Kismet said they’d reach the lake Gregor recalled from their trip to save Stellovet in around a day, and he once again was angry at himself he had dropped his flashlight.

“How about this?” Henry approached him and held out a small hand-lantern. I traded it from the Flutterers a while ago, but I don’t really need it, so how about you take it, to replace that lightstick of yours?” Gregor threw him a smile and gratefully took it. “This’ll be perfect, thank you.” Henry quickly showed him how to refill it, before calling the group together to distribute seatings.

They had more than enough bats now, especially with how Ripred and Kismet could both run. Thanatos still insisted on carrying Nike, even though her wing was doing better already, that left them with Ares, Hera, and Aurora. In the end, Henry and Gregor took their seats on Ares again, Howard mounted Hera, and Luxa Aurora.

The trek was fairly uneventful, Gregor and Henry spent the time chatting some more, about more stories from his past, and finally, Henry started asking questions about the Overland.

Gregor was in the middle of explaining what a cellphone was and how you used it, when Ares flew out of the mound of a tunnel and he instantly recognized where they were. “The lake!”, Gregor exclaimed and heard Kismet below them call for a break. The bats landed around the shore and, after letting the humans mount down, flew over the water to fish. Only ten minutes later they were all sitting around a campfire, eating dinner.

“So, you all know where we are?”, asked Kismet as she eyed the group. Gregor nodded. “We were here before. But you say we can’t go back the way we came back then?”

She shook her head. “There was a volcanic eruption closeby, not so long ago, it blocked the previous path.” – “And where do we go then?”, Luxa suddenly asked. “Patience, girl, we will figure it out. The land of the pinchers lies beyond the lake, but they do not like intruders. We might not have much of a choice, this time, though.”

Pinchers... Gregor recalled Ares explaining they were lobsters at some point, and he nervously swallowed. He wasn’t too eager to meet another new species now, not with all the stress he already had.

“Do we camp here again?”, he asked Kismet instead, and she glanced around for a moment, then nodded. “It’s a good place for a camp.”

Henry stared out onto the lake, his senses peeled for any noise. He had last watch, and Gregor had woken him up a couple hours ago. His gaze instinctively wandered over to the rest of the group. It had not escaped him, the way they had thrown suspicious glances at Kismet, this entire time. The way they had inched away from her when she sat down. Maybe, he thought, maybe I notice it so much because they do the same with me now.

He had not gotten the chance to speak to her properly, not after his conversation with Gregor. He angrily bit his lip, he should hate them for treating her like this just for her species, but he couldn’t hate them. None of them. Not even Howard.

“For redemption, you will strive... in their hands, you place your life...”, he mumbled almost thoughtlessly, reaching to touch the softly glowing water. Would that part of the prophecy ever happen? It seemed almost ridiculous, with how they treated him now.

And it wasn’t even just that – he stared out at the gorgeous scene, automatically trying to spot patterns in the glow – Henry suddenly asked himself if seeking atonement in their eyes was even... worth it. It had been two years now... how long did they expect him to feel guilty for this whole thing? Henry knew, if he had the choice, he’d always prefer parting with them on good terms, but... what would it cost? Feeling guilty for the rest of his life?

His gaze darted over to Luxa, and his conversation with Gregor came to mind. He clenched his jaw instantly, trying to somehow cope with the fact that Luxa wasn’t feeling well, and it was all entirely his fault. He had to talk to her eventually, he owed it – not just to her or to Gregor, but to all of the Underland.

“You can wake the rest now, we should press on.” She had been silent as ever, but Henry had sensed her coming. “I’m glad you’re here”, he said on an impulse as he turned around to Kismet. “Thank you. I’m sure it’s not easy.” She just chuckled. “You know how it is now, to be an outcast, even among those who once loved you. I wish you wouldn’t have to know.”

Henry sighed and gave her a smile. “I’ll be fine, even without them. I’ll always have you, won’t I?” She shot him a glance, “Boy, we owe each other our lives. I feel like what you did for me is always overshadowed by what I did for you. But never forget, as long as I breathe – you will always have me. Even if you are a little brat sometimes.”

He spontaneously caught her in a hug and for the first time, she returned it. “Go and wake them, will you? Before they catch you hugging a rat.” – “I don’t care”, he mumbled, but let go nonetheless. “But... you’ll never be alone either, you know? Because you’ll have me on your ass now too. For the rest of your life. Whether you like it or not.”

Kismet shook her head at him as she reached into the lake, presumably to catch fish. Henry threw a couple glances back while walking towards the group to start waking them.

Gregor awoke instantly when Henry touched his shoulder and he told him to go and wake up Howard because he didn’t want to deal with him right now. Only after Gregor had already walked off in his direction Henry realized where that left him – with Luxa.

He cautiously approached her – it would be alright. She had huddled together with Aurora, and the golden bat awoke instantly as Henry raised his voice – “Hey, you two, Luxa, it’s time for breakfast.”

Luxa twitched in her sleep, and slowly untangled herself from Aurora. He cautiously bowed down to pat her shoulder, “Hey, Luxa!”, but as soon as he touched her, Luxa jolted around, suddenly grabbing his arm – “Henry?”, she called, her hand so firmly gripping his arm it almost hurt.

The exiled prince froze in shock. He blinked a few times, and stared at her, trying to process she had just called him by name, despite what Gregor had said, when she suddenly furrowed her brows. She seemed to inspect him closer now, before jerking away from him, almost tripping into Aurora in the process. “You... oh... oh, I’m sorry, I”, she stuttered, biting her lip and avoiding his gaze, “I... I had you confused with someone...”

A jolt of pain pierced his heart, and Aurora threw him a somewhat apologetic glance. “She’ll be ready shortly”, the golden bat mumbled, and Henry could do nothing but leave them to themselves.

“We could take the way around, but that would mean losing a few days”, Kismet announced during breakfast. Luxa looked up, “Around what?” – “Around the territory of the pinchers, dear”, Kismet pulled in another fish and tossed it onto the grilling plate over the fire.

Luxa narrowed her eyes. “The... pinchers. They are not our enemies, are they?” The rat shook her head. “No, they just prefer their territory intruder-free, last time I checked.” Luxa disregarded her, “Then we go to them.”

Everyone stared at her now, Howard’s mouth stood slightly agape, even Ripred looked perplexed. “Pardon me?”, he finally asked, and Luxa threw him a cold glance. “We are here to gather allies. I am not going to pass up an opportunity like this.”

Her words were followed by silence, only interrupted when Howard stood up. “You can not just march into another species’ lands, expecting them to agree to your alliance request!”, he called, and was surprisingly backed up by Ripred. “Especially not the pinchers’.”

“And why not?” Luxa’s tone was still icy. Ripred shifted almost nervously. “Oh, I... I mean, you may be misinformed on their lack of hostility towards humans, Kismet.”

She eyed him, before sighing. “Alright, what did you do this time?” All eyes were on Ripred and he gave a somewhat dry chuckle. “Oh... I... you know, may or may not have convinced them the territory around the Fount-settlement was rightfully theirs, at some point, and, you know, launched an... unsuccessful attempt to conquer it...?”

Howard’s head jolted up, “Father told me you once tried to conquer the Fount... with an army of lobsters. It was shortly after I was born.” Ripred nodded, and Henry had to suppress a chuckle. “An... army of lobsters. Oh my goodness... why though?” Ripred shrugged. “... boredom? I don’t know, I was young and... you know, had this crazy idea that one day I could set up my own base camp in that land. So I... improvised.”

Nothing kept Henry from breaking into almost hysteric laughter now, he saw some of the others were giggling too. “I remember that day, actually”, Thanatos now spoke, “Arya and I had been sent there to stop you. I believe it was the first time I ever saw you.”

Ripred looked around with a mix of pride and slight regret. “And that is why I should probably not show my face to them... ever again. Or you, Your Majesty, for that matter. I have no idea how... angry they still are with my lie, but it’s probably not a good idea to provoke them in these specific times, is it now?”

Luxa had not moved a single muscle, throughout the entire tale. Only now she glanced around, disregarding Ripred like she hadn’t heard a word he had said. “I do not care if you go. If any of you go”, she spoke now, and Henry felt shivers on his back from her tone, “I will.”

Howard instantly stood up, but before he could protest, Luxa had already taken a stand before him. “Do not even START!” Howard was so surprised at the hostility in her tone, he actually remained silent. “You all...”, she raised her finger and pointed around the room, “You all need to stop TREATING ME LIKE I’M A CHILD in need of A BABYSITTER! I am YOUR QUEEN!” Her cry echoed from the walls of the cave. “I have... have... a MISSION. And I do not want – or need – any OF YOUR HELP! So get lost – this is my final decision, my ORDER. As QUEEN.”

For the first time, Henry was genuinely scared for her condition. He knew Luxa, he knew her better than most of the people in this room – and this was not... Luxa.

“You are... the queen”, a voice sounded from an unexpected direction, and everyone jolted around to Kismet, who slowly stood up now, “But that doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself, dear. Look at them, look closely”, she continued, glancing at Henry, “they aren’t following you because they think you incapable or in need of protection, they follow you because they wish to serve your cause. All of them. Do not push them away, dear, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Luxa stared at her for a second, before lowering her gaze. “You will follow me... you all will?” Henry exchanged a glance with Gregor, then looked at the bats, and finally at Kismet. “Anywhere.”

He saw Howard and Gregor nod too now, only Ripred remained silent. “I’ll... pass. My presence there will only lower the chances of getting on their good side, I’m afraid. I’ll...”, he pondered, “I’ll meet you back at Regalia, if you don’t mind. After all, you have a new guide now.” He eyed Kismet, “And she can protect you as I could. If not better.”

“Do you think this’ll end well?”, Thanatos asked while following Ares with Kismet. They had rearranged their seatings so that Ares could carry her, as Nike had claimed she was fit to fly now, and Henry had finally taken his seat on Thanatos’ back again.

“It’s Kismet... I doubt there is any way this could go wrong”, he laughed, while internally unsure. The questers, especially Howard, had not taken too well to Ripred leaving them with her, but in the end, he had claimed he followed Luxa, not Kismet, and somehow nobody had made too big of a scene of it. So far, they had not encountered pinchers either, but the whole point of being here was encountering them, so he didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

“Eh... you have a point”, Thanatos admitted, and Henry chuckled, tugging at the straps of his saddle. “Hey”, for a second he wrapped his arms around the neck of his flier, “I missed you, these last days. I mean I know you guys have a thing or something for each other, but do you prefer Nike’s company over mine now?”

Thanatos only snorted, “we don’t have any THING for each other, Henry, that’s not... you have the wrong idea here.” His bond laughed, “Oh, SURE. Absolutely. I mean, I’m happy for you and all, but I’d still like to SEE you sometimes, kay?”

Thanatos was about to shoot back when Ares before him let out an alarmed shriek. Henry blinked a couple times, the only light source was Gregor’s hand-lantern he had lit, somewhere behind him, and the picture his echolocation painted was confusing.

Had something just... jumped out of the... wall and... tackled Ares from the air? Before Henry could try to understand what had just happened, let alone draw a weapon, he felt something hit him from the side. He saw stars for a second and felt the straps of the saddle tighten, as Thanatos was thrown off-course by the blow. Then his head hit the opposing wall and he saw nothing anymore.

Henry awoke to discover he was entirely unable to move. He was still strapped into the saddle and something was sitting on his back, pressing his face into Thanatos’ fur. He couldn’t make out what it was. “H...hey, what...”, he struggled and managed to turn his face sideways, to be able to breathe.

“What seek humans in land that is pinchers?”, a deep, almost melodious voice sounded from somewhere before him, and Henry now realized Gregor’s hand-lantern was still burning somewhere. He couldn’t see much, but when his eye had gotten used to the darkness, he made out a shape before him.

I’ve seen this shape before, he thought, and an unwanted memory flashed in his head suddenly – the lake. The same lake they had camped at, and... the waterfall. The fall.

“We did not mean to offend –”, he heard Luxa’s voice, somewhere behind him, but she was cut off – “We dislike trespassers. King should decide their fate”, another of the pinchers spoke, and Henry felt the one who apparently sat on his back, move.

He finally took a deep breath and slowly rose up, gasping for air, and looked around. He saw the others were held in similarly restrained positions, only Luxa had apparently wiggled free. She stood before who appeared to be the leader of the lobsters, an enormous creature of more than six feet.

Before Henry could call a warning, he had jabbed at her with his claw, presumably to recapture her, and would have surely severed her leg, hadn’t – Kismet, she leaped at the creature out of the shade and wrapped her tail around Luxa’s waist, pulling her out of the way.

She cried in shock and the lobsters now all raised their claws, prepared for attack, when suddenly a single voice called, from Henry’s left – “We have met before, this one. Have we?”


	20. Alliances

“It will always be up to you, whether you heed my offer or not, I do not wish to force anything on you. But surely you agree, the Bane must be dealt with. And together is always better than alone.”

Henry sat at Thanatos’ side, a little offside, and watched Luxa as she stood in the middle of the ginormous cave, which served as the pincher’s main camp. Much of it was taken up by water, but there was a beach around it so that none of them had to wet their feet. “Her speech is impressive”, remarked his flier and Henry nodded. Luxa had always had a talent for diplomacy, well, when she wasn’t having one of her stubborn days, at least.

“Heed her request, the king most likely will”, sounded from his other side, and Henry nodded, gratefully. The pincher sitting next to him had saved them, and Henry himself even for the second time.

“Hey, I don’t think I ever said thank you for when you and your friend fished me out of the lake, back then. I owe you guys my life”, he gave the pincher a crooked smile. “Me as well”, Thanatos agreed, and the six-foot-tall lobster scratched the floor with his claw. “We help when we can.”

“Hey, don’t undermine your own achievements – hadn’t you told that other pincher you knew me and that I was friendly, they would surely have killed us.”

Henry recalled in horror how dire their situation had been, only hours ago. Luxa attacking the pincher, him almost severing her leg in defense – hadn’t this very specimen interrupted them, claiming he knew Henry, they would have started a fight and their diplomatic mission would have failed. They’d most likely never even found this cave.

Instead, it had turned out this guy was some sort of important advisor, or something along the lines, Henry hadn’t entirely understood, to the king, and his comrades had listened to him. They had seized their hostility and heard Luxa out. After learning she was the queen of Regalia and came in search of help, they had taken them to their camp to speak to their king.

They had grown suspicious once more when they had realized she was traveling with Kismet, but listened when Luxa had, without looking at her, explained, their enemy was the Bane, not rats like her. Some of them still threw her suspicious glances, but she stayed in the background for the most part and remained passive, so they stopped paying her attention.

They had reached the camp shortly after and been welcomed with hospitality, even offered some food, though nobody except Howard enjoyed the strange shells they had provided them with. Henry had not been picky with food in a long time, but he thought he’d never understand the eating habits of the Fount-residents.

“So”, Thanatos started talking again, “what are you going to do now? They will most likely return to Regalia, will you offer to help from out here again?” His bond nodded. “What else?”

A prolonged period of silence followed before Thanatos spoke again – “You have not even talked to her, have you?” Without his bond saying her name, Henry understood he meant Luxa and automatically searched the cave for her with his gaze. He spotted her on the side, sitting among a group of pincher-babies, talking to one of the adults. Gregor and Aurora were with them too, both visibly looking out for her, just like the one pincher who had sat next to them, a few minutes ago. He had started making his way towards her, presumably when he had realized Henry and Thanatos had started talking about personal things.

“I... I have to, don’t I?” Henry felt a sting in his chest, watching her, watching them, and knowing he’d most likely never be a part of them anymore. At Thanatos’ questioning look he realized he hadn’t even told his bond any of the things Gregor had shared with him, and sighed before attempting to explain it, to the best of his abilities.

“Gregor says I... only I can get her out of it”, he finally concluded, staring at his hands. “But how am I supposed to talk to someone, let along Luxa, who... who... thinks like that? Who’d rather erect a mental blockade than accept it is me...?”

Thanatos was now pressing into his side, he heard the flier sigh. “I... I have no answer. I wish I did, but I don’t. I just...”, he hesitated, “I’m sorry I haven’t asked you how you were doing, these last days. I... I should have, but there was Nike and, and... you seemed to be well, and I...”, but Henry interrupted him – “Hey, don’t beat yourself up over that. I’m... you had other things to deal with, and I can handle myself.”

“Other things? I don’t think any of my “other things” justify leaving you to yourself with a problem like this”, the flier argued, “I... we are bonds, it is my duty to be at your side and help you, in, in... in life, in death, in war, and in strife. I here and now promise I will never neglect you like this again.”

Henry chuckled. “Oh come on, you’re overthinking this. It’s not like you were far away or anything, and again, I’m not helpless myself, you know? I could have always come to you when things would have gotten unbearable.”

“Then why did you not?” Thanatos sounded almost offended, and Henry blinked a few times, not knowing what to reply.

“Because he had the decency to allow you time with others you care about... people you can’t always see... or at least I think so.” They both jerked around to the tunnel entrance on their right, as Kismet emerged from it. She had stayed away from the immediate camp for the most part, and Henry had already started asking himself when she would rejoin them.

“Hey, there you are”, he shot her a smile, “You...”, Henry threw a glance back to Luxa, and his expression darkened. “You saved her, back then. Thank you.” Kismet twitched her tail dismissively, “Don’t mention it. I will not let any children die on my watch. Besides, it is a good way to earn trust. I do not care too much, but traveling with people who harbor hostility for you is not the best thing in the world. But – I’m sure I don’t have to tell you.”

She plopped down on Henry’s other side and they watched the others gather for dinner silently. The exiled prince wasn’t overly hungry and so he decided to use this time to catch a break from the group. Howard had taken to distributing the shells now, and both Gregor’s and Luxa’s disliking for the food was plainly obvious.

“So, I hear the student has become the teacher now”, Kismet finally spoke again, her gaze on Gregor. “How’s the experience so far?”

Henry shot her a glance, not bothering to conceal his pride. “Awesome, actually. Gregor’s a good student, yeah he’s been jaded by Ripred, but I’m sure I can fix that in no time.”

Kismet gave a dry laugh – “Ripred? Ripred attempted to teach someone? Echolocation, even? He hadn’t even mastered level two himself, last time I saw him. No wonder the Overland-pup is traumatized.”

On Henry’s somewhat accusing glance she continued, “Ripred is great at many things, but not because he is willing to put hard work and effort into self-improvement or studies, he just happens to be naturally talented in more ways than the average person. But as... attractive as that quality seems, it almost automatically makes him a bad teacher. Talent can help master a task, but it will not help explain it to someone else. Only true knowledge and understanding of what you are doing can.”

Henry saw the truth in her words and was once more glad to call her his friend. Kismet always managed to bring clarity and objectively sort out the most complicated and emotional problems. Talking to her was... soothing, in a lot of ways.

“You are avoiding her, aren’t you?” Then again, it was moments like these he wished she would be a little less observant. Henry bit his lip, following Kismet’s gaze to Luxa. “I... I can’t.”

“Nonsense.” Her tail hit the back of his head lightly and Henry cried out a little, rubbing it and staring at her from a narrowed eye. “Hey!” Kismet just chuckled. “Then stop being such a child. She needs you, can’t you see it?”

Henry glanced over to Luxa, she was talking to his pincher-friend now. “As if”, he snorted, “she has other people she cares about now. You said it yourself, she has erected a whole mental block to be able to continue pretending I am dead.”

“Is that what the Overland-pup told you?” Kismet sighed, “Henry, you can not hold it against her. It was not an active choice. But sometimes, things happen that our brain can’t process because it is overwhelmed. It can be trauma, or other earth-shattering revelations – like finding out your cousin, who you had grown up with, who you regarded as a brother, and who betrayed you, is alive and has made his way back into your life. You have to give her time, but you also have to talk to her.”

Henry bit his lip. “How... how do you even know all this stuff? You’re a hermit, how can you know so much about how people work?” Kismet sighed. “Because I dedicated a large portion of my time as Gorger’s general, and even before that, to studies of behavior and mental processes. I believed it would help my own ambitious goals, as well as the people... the king I served. And, well, it did.”

Henry pondered on that for a while. He tried to imagine Kismet when she had been young, an incredibly sharp, capable warrior, with command over Gorger’s armies. The thought was intriguing and slightly scary at the same time. Maybe, he thought, maybe that’s exactly what Ripred was into. He tried to imagine they had once been together, actually together, not bickering and cranky like they were now. Or maybe they had always been like that.

“Hey, how are you and Ripred doing, actually? It must have been... strange, to see him again, after such a long time”, he finally asked and noticed Kismet retreat a little. “Things are... not easy. We both had our reasons to stay away from each other, this last decade, and they were good reasons.” Henry wanted to ask more but had a feeling she wouldn’t say anything else anyway. He inevitably asked himself how much affection they still harbored for each other.

Kismet remained silent for a second, “But hey – you are changing the subject, and I’m not having it.” Henry rolled his eye, but Kismet wasn’t done yet. “Oh for the love of everything, will you at least try? Only you can break this mental wall because she has built it specifically to keep you out.” When Henry stared at her, confused, she rolled her eye. “Don’t... ask why that is the case, but believe me... it is.”

After the group had finished up their meal, it was Luxa who called them together. “The king of the pinchers has agreed to ally himself with Regalia against the Bane”, she announced, and everyone spontaneously broke into applause. Henry, too, couldn’t help but smile. Well done, he congratulated her in his head but dared not speak it out loud.

“Beyond that, they have offered to send an ambassador with us to the city, and he here has volunteered.” She pointed at the pincher beside her, whom Henry recognized as his friend. “I am called Iro”, he spoke now, and stepped closer, “in the name of the king I will go to your city and speak for my people.”

Luxa nodded at him, before looking back at the group, “He has further offered to help us negotiate with another potential ally, he claims the stingers, who live further north of here, are close to his people, so if he comes with us, they should receive us in friendship.”

Howard and Gregor exchanged glances, but none of them tried to convince her to take the direct way back. Henry shot a thankful glance at Iro as well – only now he realized he’d never asked his name.

“When do we leave for the territory of the stingers, then?”, Howard asked, and Luxa turned her attention back on him. “Immediately.”

The first couple hours of their trip north remained fairly uneventful. Iro was big but fairly light, so Hera could easily carry him while Nike took over Howard. Thanatos with Henry always made sure to remain behind her, in case she should tire, but she pulled through remarkably well.

Henry once more couldn’t help but marvel at the landscapes the Firelands painted. The further north they went, the more the view reminded him of the cave with the queen – countless smaller volcanos, some quietly bubbling or rumbling, some silently seeping lava. They didn’t encounter the currents this time, though the fliers remained overly paranoid about it, not that Henry could really blame them, after what had happened last time.

Iro led them confidently further and further north, and while the air had gotten hot and hard to breathe, as soon as they had entered the volcanic area, it cleared again after a while. They passed the volcanos and soon flew through what seemed to be regular tunnels, even though Henry realized, when he looked closer, they consisted of the smooth, black, volcanic rock, that manifested when lava cooled down.

Thanatos had just approached Hera with Iro to inform him Nike would need a break soon, when his ears twitched. Henry instantly focused and froze when he realized what his bond had heard – battle cries... of rats.

“Arm yourselves!”, he screamed, instantly drawing his own sword and fetching the firestone. Kismet on Ares’ back had prepared for battle already, repeating his call now. Gregor, Howard, and Luxa could not hear anything yet, but they hesitantly drew their own weapons.

The bats passed through a long, winding, corridor, Thanatos was directly behind Hera now, and Henry saw the pinchers’ antennas twitch nervously. “They are battling”, he mumbled, and the exiled prince focused more, to make out what was going on. But only moments later he didn’t need his hearing for that anymore.

“Defend them!”, called Kismet from behind, and Henry’s heart skipped a beat when he took in the scene before him. The bats had left the tunnel to enter a huge cave, with two silently bubbling, small volcanos on its right, that emitted enough light to see. There, in the middle, stood three stingers, they had positioned themselves in a circle, and all aggressively shook their tails at... “Rats!”, Gregor called, and indeed, the stingers seemed to be surrounded. The floor of the cave was almost entirely covered in rats – some lying dead, most still very alive – seeking to break the defense of the stingers.

They seemed to be seeping in from a much larger exit on the other side of the cave, and they were still coming. Was Henry to estimate how many he saw, he’d say over a hundred, hacking and clawing away at the scorpions. Only now he saw the body of a fourth one, already lying motionless in the corner, rats crawling and jumping over him like he was part of the landscape.

Henry didn’t need to wait for Luxa’s call to arms. With one swift motion, he ignited his sword and was infinitely glad he was on Thanatos – and strapped into the saddle. He joined his bond’s battle cry, fetching his boomerang with his left hand and throwing it at the rat who had just attempted to bite off the tail of the smallest stinger.

Thanatos whizzed through the air like a projectile and, with the help of his saddle, Henry tore through the rows of rats like a fiery arrow. He watched not for how many he slew, all he knew was, that as long as there were some remaining, it wasn’t enough.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the leaping figure of Kismet, on the floor now, fighting multiple members of her own species at once – not one stood a chance. The fliers were still in the air, Ares who was carrying Gregor again, he swung his sword with both hands as the cave was illuminated. Nike with Howard and Aurora with Luxa, also closeby.

Henry was entirely absorbed in the battle, he watched not for the passage of time. Only when he suddenly heard someone scream, from somewhere on his left, he started thinking again. His gaze darted in the direction and from the corner of his eye, he saw Howard... on the floor? Nike, who must have nearly collapsed from exhaustion, was clinging to the wall, barely out of reach of the rats, but Howard, who had apparently fallen to the floor when she had lost control, seemed doomed. She couldn’t dip down to pick him up again, or she would instantly be butchered.

Her piteous cry rang in Henry’s ears, and he didn’t need to tell Thanatos what to do. His flier instantly zoomed in on Howard, and Henry rotated the saddle until he was sitting upside down. He gripped the still burning sword with the left hand now and when Thanatos had reached Howard, extended his right.

Luxa’s cousin looked at him like he had lost his mind for a second, but realized he had no other option. He dropped his own sword, that he had been swinging around violently to keep the rats away from him, on the spot, and jumped up to grab Henry’s arm.

The exiled prince cried out from the extra weight and prayed the saddle would hold, which, for the moment, it seemed to do. “Are you out OF YOUR MIND?!”, Howard screamed, visibly scared, as they gained altitude. Henry, who felt like on a rack, screamed “A LITTLE” back, which earned him a more panicked than annoyed grunt from Howard.

They were soaring high above the rats now, as Henry was in no position to fight, and Howard had no weapon. He continued praying the saddle would hold when he suddenly had an idea. “GRAB THE SWORD!”, he yelled at Howard, who’s head jolted up at him. Before he could protest, Henry had tossed his still burning sword at him, Howard caught it in the last second. “You ARE CRAZY!”, he yelled, trying to get a firm grip on the sword.

“And you need to lose some weight!”, Henry countered as the straps of the saddle creaked. He felt like either the saddle would tear or his arm would dislocate, would he be forced to hold Howard for much longer, but there was nowhere to land. So they would have to work with what they had.

“DEATH!”, Henry called at his flier, firmly grabbing onto the handle of the saddle with his now free left hand. His flier understood and darted down again. Howard screamed in fear at first, but when he realized the rats were scared of the flaming sword more than he was of fighting in this position, he even managed to land a few hits.

Just when Henry thought they would have cleared away enough of them to let Howard down, he felt a sharp pain tear through his right shoulder. He cried out and let go of Howard, who screamed as he fell, but luckily managed to drop the flaming sword before he landed. Thanatos had flown relatively close to the ground so Howard remained uninjured, and picked the sword back up instantly.

But Henry hadn’t gotten off that well. Hadn’t Thanatos realized he was injured and instantly gained altitude again, the remaining rats would have torn him to shreds. “You alright?”, his flier asked, as he was flying circles near the ceiling. Henry gritted his teeth. “I’ll live.”

“THEY ARE RETREATING!”, Kismet suddenly cried, and when Henry threw his next glance down, he realized she was right. The number of rats had shrunken significantly, and they were indeed fleeing, back into the tunnel where they had come from. “Finally”, Henry sighed, and Thanatos slowly flew lower again. The exiled prince barely managed to pull the saddle into an upright position before he landed – in a cave entirely void of rats.

“They express their most sincere gratitude”, Iro translated, Henry was almost certain he sounded happy. “They say the rats tried to take their camp, to come before humans. They do not like it that stingers now like humans.”

“Then tell them they will not have to fear the rats anymore if they ally themselves with Regalia”, replied Luxa, gazing up at the ginormous scorpion before her.

Only when the three they had rescued had thanked them and led the way into an adjacent cave, which was part of the main camp the stingers resided in, they had learned the stingers had no monarch. Instead, their society listened to something like a council of elders, the leader of which now stood before Luxa.

Iro translated and the ginormous scorpion seemed happy. “He says he will ally himself with you against the Bane. He says the Bane needs to be stopped and his species owes you their... I do not know exactly how to say”, Iro hesitated, “existence, maybe.” Luxa gave the stinger a respectful nod. “Your help and your friendship are very welcome.”

“Hey Henry, are you alright?”, Thanatos suddenly asked, and the exiled prince only fell forward until he was lying down on his back, still in the saddle. He heard Luxa further negotiating with the stingers, and from somewhere heard Howard call the group together for a health-checkup, but he was too tired to even untie the saddle.

“Henry!”, Thanatos sounded worried now. “Mhm... I’m fine...”, he grunted, painfully aware of the blood still seeping out of his shoulder. But he couldn’t stand up, he was too weak.

Henry felt he was on the verge of blacking out when a voice suddenly called, from right next to him – “You are injured...?” He instantly jolted up, only to stare into the somewhat awkward but also weirdly genuine face of... Howard.

“Why would you care?”, he shot at him, gritting his teeth in pain. “Just... just leave me, I’m not in the mood for –”, but Howard interrupted him. “Nonsense. Come down from there now, and let me take a look at that.” Henry stared at him unbelievingly but was too weak to protest when Howard helped him climb down from Thanatos’ back. “Hey... why are you so nice to me?”, he mumbled, already almost passing out again.

Howard remained silent for a while, fetching his medical supplies. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. “You... I hate you for doing this, for forcing me through this, but... you saved my life out there.”

Henry wanted to turn around to him, surprised, but cried in pain instead, when he felt the sting of the disinfectant. “Tha- AAAH, hey!” Howard remained silent, almost like he was enjoying this a little.

“You...”, he hesitated, “I can not... not yet... forgive what you did, not if I wanted to, but...”, he sighed, “I can... acknowledge what you were willing to do today. And...”, he was visibly fighting himself to say this, “and over the last two years.”

With that he fastened the last bandage and turned to face Henry, his gaze was dark and he was biting his lip, but he wasn’t hostile. “I have your sword, by the way”, he extended it to Henry and the exiled prince grabbed it, after a moment of hesitation.

“It’s a nice trick, with the fire”, Howard admitted, before averting his gaze again. “I, I was...”, he gave a short laugh, “I always told you you were acting like a jerk, and now I realize I have done the same, the last couple weeks.”

Henry stared at him, unbelieving. “Are you... apologizing to me?” Maybe he should pull crazy stunts like that with Howard more often, from now on, he thought, tugging at the bandage.

“I believe I... have to.” Henry thought he had never had so much trouble saying anything. “Look, I still don’t like you. I never did”, Howard continued, packing up his medical kit now, “but you are... right, when you say we have more important things to fight than each other.”

He wasn’t looking at him, as he spoke on – “You are... a strong ally, who has saved many people I care about. I can no longer deny that, as much as I want to... so... I’m glad you... you found your way, and work to atone for your mistake. And I am glad you were here today, and whenever else we needed you... Henry.” With that, he rose to his feet and moved away, in the direction of the others.

“Well, would you look at that?”, Thanatos chuckled, “you should have done that way sooner.” Henry tiredly leaned on his back, “I know.” He stared in Howard’s direction and saw him lining the rest of the group up to tend to their injuries. From what he saw, none of them were nearly as badly off as he though.

Henry closed his eye. Had that really just happened? He was glad he had been here... “Hey, I’ll sleep now, okay? I’m tired.” Thanatos only hummed approvingly while the exiled prince was already drifting away into unconsciousness.

When Henry awoke again, he found the group had moved to an adjacent cave from the camp of the stingers for some privacy and was about to have breakfast. With Thanatos’ help, he managed to stand up and was eternally grateful Howard had taken to preparing the food this time.

“The stingers have promised alliance”, Luxa announced, her voice sounded proud but her gaze was still misted. “Then we must return to Regalia”, Howard responded, handing out the fish. “We have to tell Solovet and the council of our new allies.” Luxa glanced at him and Henry already thought she was going to refuse again, but instead, she nodded. “We should... go back.”

Suddenly, a clog of panic lumped his throat. If they went back now, now before he got the chance to talk to Luxa... But before he had the chance to raise his voice, she beat him to it. “Kismet?”

All heads turned in the direction of the rat, who had remained on the sideline, as always, even now that they had left the stingers’ camp. Her gaze jolted up now and she fixated her attention on Luxa, who hesitated for a moment, but finally beckoned her closer.

“You invite me to your dining circle?”, she asked as she approached, almost unbelievingly. Luxa held her gaze, before standing up. “You have saved my life, back in the lands of the pinchers.” Kismet remained silent, but Luxa spoke on – “I have not properly thanked you for it yet, and I wish to do it now. I do not forget such an act of loyalty. From this moment on I will no longer treat you as though I mistrust you.”

Her words hang in the air heavily, as everyone grasped their meaning instantly. Kismet remained silent for a moment, and Henry had the suspicion Luxa had actually managed to make her speechless.

When she finally sat down in their midst, she took a deep breath. “Ripred was right when he claimed you were not your father, girl. I will not forget this act of kindness either.”

Luxa nodded in her direction. “Nothing is ever forgotten”, she announced, and somewhere in the back of his head, Henry thought her words had been meant for him. He felt as though the last of his hope to ever make things right between them had just vanished into thin air, and had trouble focusing on his meal.

If nothing is ever forgotten, he thought, angrily clenching his jaw, then why can you not remember what I sacrificed for you, the last two years?


	21. Ghost

“Alright, are you facing a wall or not?” Gregor focused on the clicking sound only, it sounded... like empty space, he thought and shook his head in the direction where Henry’s voice had come from. “No wall”, he added and heard an approving hum. “Very good.”

A day had passed, since they had sealed their alliance with the stingers, and they had made camp near where the territories around the Fount bordered the Firelands. Howard claimed it was only around another day’s trek to Regalia from here, and so Gregor had seized one of his presumably last opportunities to practice echolocation with Henry.

“Hey?” He slowly peeked out from under the blindfold Henry had him wear and spotted him, only a couple paces away. “What’s the matter?”, he asked, stepping a little closer. Gregor sighed, removing the blindfold entirely. “You... you’re really not coming with us, are you?”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “To Regalia? I can’t go to Regalia, you know that.” Gregor stared at the floor, before eyeing Henry again – how was any of this fair? Yes, he was aware of Henry’s outcast-status, but he’d not properly thought about it before, not since he had discovered his identity. Only now the full realization hit him, that he would never be able to return to the city he had grown up in. He would have to live out here, alone, for the rest of his days.

Gregor had just opened his mouth to put his thoughts into words when Henry jerked around to the entrance of the cave they were practicing in. Gregor followed his gaze and saw the silhouette of Luxa standing in the entrance. She seemed to stare at them for a moment, before raising her voice – “Ripred is back.”

Henry took a step towards her. “What?” His voice sounded unbelieving. “But didn’t he say something about meeting us back in Regalia?” Luxa blinked at him a few times, before averting her eyes. “He said something happened. That you need to come.”

Gregor had already approached her, “Hey, if Ripred’s back, it must be important”, he remarked in Henry’s direction, who nodded. “Let’s go.”

Gregor took the first step through the exit towards their current camp but turned around when nobody followed immediately. “Hold up, had to grab my backpack”, Henry quickly caught up, carrying his bag, which was still half-open. “I actually wanted to give this back to you, because I realized I never did.”

To Gregor’s surprise, he held out the bag with Mrs. Cormaci’s camera. “I completely forgot I still had it”, Henry laughed as the two made their way down the tunnel, “and I would have almost forgotten again.”

“Oh thank you. Mrs. Cormaci would definitely be upset if I ended up not returning it.” Gregor carefully took it and wanted to open the bag to inspect the camera, but as soon as he moved the zipper, maybe half the photos that were still cramped into it fell out and they had to stop to gather them up. “And that is why I gave it back closed”, Henry laughed, and Gregor had to admit he had a point.

The camera bag still in hand, Gregor followed Henry out the tunnel and into the cave where they had made camp. A torch was burning in the middle and by the looks of it, Howard was making dinner.

“Ah, the student and the teacher return.” Gregor immediately turned to where the oh-so-familiar cranky voice came from and saw Ripred, slouched against a wall. Next to him lied the remains of three fish.

“Gather round, dinner is ready”, Howard called now from the opposite direction, and Gregor approached the fire, only now realizing how hungry he was. They had been traveling all day, and he hadn’t gotten the chance to eat since breakfast.

Only when they had all assembled around the campfire and Henry started helping Howard distributing the food, Gregor suddenly realized Luxa was not in sight. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around, only to jump a little when she appeared on his left, almost like out of nowhere.

“Luxa, there you are”, he addressed her, infinitely relieved, “where were you?” Instead of answering his question, she turned to Ripred. “You have news, you say?”

The rat approached the fire, and only now Gregor saw he was eyeing Kismet, who sat on the other side. “I do, and they are not good, I’m afraid.” He plopped down next to Gregor, exactly opposite of Kismet, and glanced around. “The Bane is marching on Regalia.”

This was not good – it was all Gregor had the strength to think. Of course, it wasn’t good. Ripred had explained how he had almost run into the forces of the Bane, on his way to the city. Apparently, they were already blocking all passages to Regalia, save the rivers, but he had decided it would be the better approach to turn back and warn the group, then to try and reach the city himself.

“There is only really one piece of good news, I heard some of them complain about your farmers having destroyed your crops. They have little food. But from how I know the Bane, that’s not going to stop him”, Ripred elaborated. His story was followed by grave silence. “And he’s not alone, either”, he continued, “apparently, he came across our good friend Twirltongue on the way, and we all know how that’s going to go.”

Gregor shuddered even at the mention of the silver rat, who had so easily manipulated his beliefs and his trust in Ripred.

“From the way you described the Bane, and, if she really is all her mother, she will have poisoned and twisted his mind beyond repair, by the time he reaches Regalia”, Kismet concluded, and Ripred nodded. “And there is nothing we can do about it, aside from...”, his gaze fell on Gregor, “getting the queen and the warrior back to Regalia, before they reach it. After all, who knows how things will be after.”

A shiver ran down Gregor’s spine at the words. What did he mean? That Regalia was... in actual danger? He thought back to the view on the gorgeous stone city, Gregor realized he had always considered it some sort of safe haven, a place that couldn’t be destroyed or conquered, no matter what attacked it. But what if... he had been wrong? His thoughts ran back to all the people there, everyone he cared about – his mom, Boots, Vikus, Mareth... if Regalia fell, what would happen to them?

“We need to go back!” He was surprised to hear his own voice, he had spoken almost instinctively, and now all gazes were on him. Luckily, Ripred backed him up before anyone expected him to make this into some sort of motivational speech or what-not – “Exactly my words. The sooner, the better.”

“Then we leave as soon as the fliers have rested”, Howard announced. “They have carried us the entire day, they are in no condition for travel or battle.” He glanced over to where the bats had curled up together, Ares with Aurora and Hera, and Thanatos with Nike.

“Yes, we need to let them sleep, and inform them in the morning”, Henry added, already standing up to collect the dishes. “You others would also do well to sleep now.”

Gregor watched the group dispatch to follow his suggestion. He himself remained at the fire. Too much was going on in his head, he couldn’t calm his thoughts enough to think of sleep now.

The Bane – he had caught up to him. _When the monster’s blood is spilled_. Of course he had. There was no way this line in the prophecy wasn’t referring to him. _When the warrior has been killed._ Gregor noticed he was biting his lip. They had war. Actual war. Somehow, he realized, he hadn’t entirely grasped the full meaning of that yet. Not out here, far away from the city, and the whole officiality of it.

Gregor sighed before finally standing up. There was no use in sitting around here, he would just end up overthinking everything again. Maybe he should go and find Henry or someone else authorized to ask if he could have first watch. Then again, that would mean even more time alone with himself, and more opportunities to overthink.

Gregor was about to walk the few paces he had already taken, back, when he suddenly heard Ripred’s voice from the tunnel entrance, where he and Henry had held their echolocation lesson – “But what if they do?”

Gregor froze in his tracks. Don’t listen, don’t do this to yourself again, it didn’t do you any good last time, he tried convincing himself, but it was like he was rooted in place.

“Pah!” Gregor squinted his eyes – was that... Kismet? “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’ve spent too much time doing nothing except living for your own gains, out in the Dead Land. So much time, that you’ve entirely forgotten how politics work. Because it’s not like this.” Ripred snorted. “And you – what have you done, all this time? Not the same thing, except on the opposite side of the map?”

“At least I have not become a naïve daydreamer”, she hissed back, “what is... Whitespur supposed to do against a legend like the Bane? Not least because she is dead, or have you forgotten?”

Ripred was silent for a moment. “She is... but you aren’t. And as long as you live, she will be a part of you. Would you, for goodness sake, stop trying to run from it and use it, now that we may actually need it? Or are you so unworldly, so selfish, that you will not seize this opportunity, even if it may pose a chance for us?”

Kismet hissed. “Me? Unworldly and selfish? You’re one to talk – don’t forget you ran from your past as well, or does your cave-sized ego block your view on that?”

Gregor heard Ripred groan. “I did not come to you to fight. Does this really have to happen every time we try to have a conversation like this?”, but she interrupted him, “No, you came to me with a demand, as always. It is always me who has to make the sacrifice. I have always sacrificed, you can’t even begin to imagine!”

She was almost screaming now, “I have already sacrificed so much for you, Ripred, I refuse to give you more. Not now, not anymore.” Gregor thought he heard something like a crack in her voice, “I can’t... I will fight at your side, you know that, but what you ask is not anything I can give.”

“Gregor!” He jolted up and around when he heard the voice and felt someone tap his shoulder. “Henry?” He was looking at Gregor with a somewhat unreadable expression. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I send you to sleep?”

“I... eh...”, Gregor’s mind was reeling. “I wanted to ask if... if I could have first watch, actually...”, but Henry interrupted him. “I take watch. You need to sleep.”

He led Gregor away from the tunnel entry, to the slowly burning down fire. “Join the others, will you?” Henry pointed at the opposite side of the cave where Gregor could make out the already sleeping shape of Howard and Luxa, who was sitting up, with her knees pulled on.

Gregor looked at her, and back at Henry, when he suddenly realized something. “Have you talked to her yet?” From the way he averted his gaze now, Gregor could guess the answer. “Isn’t this your last chance?”

Henry remained silent, he just shoved him towards the others. “Sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.” Gregor didn’t oblige though. “Henry, I... I want to have the watch, not because I am super excited about it, but because I don’t think I can sleep now.” Henry stopped mid-way, shot him a glance, and sighed. “What is bothering you?”

Gregor bit his lip and suddenly asked himself if talking to Henry would maybe ease his mind. He wasn’t a citizen of Regalia anymore, and, as unfair as that was, Gregor thought it did make him less biased than any of them. Besides, he had shared his story with him, so why shouldn’t Gregor do the same?

They sat down close to the fire, and, staring into the crackling flame, Gregor decided to start with the easier part. “What exactly... how... IS war, down here? Do you know?” Henry sighed. “Better than most, actually. I have never experienced one, but I have spent a significant part of my life training for it.”

Gregor looked up, surprised. “Really?” Only now he realized he knew next to nothing about Henry’s life before he had arrived in the Underland, besides how he had been close with Luxa.

Henry nodded. “After Hamnet had left, they had chosen me to take his place as successor to the title of Commander of the Army. I was not heir to the throne, and even as a child always talented in battle, their choice made sense.” Gregor gave it some thought. When he looked at Henry now, he could totally see him command an army.

“And... was it what you wanted?” Henry shrugged. “Back then? I was overjoyed. It was a great honor.” He didn’t bother finishing the train of thought, regarding his present mindset, and Gregor didn’t press him for it. Instead, he asked how battles worked down here, and what he would need to expect from this war.

Henry spent maybe half an hour sharing information on the theory of war, different well-known tactics and strategies, and what it entailed to participate in a battle. But even though his explanations made sense, Gregor had trouble seeing it all as something that could really happen soon, rather than an abstract tale.

“You... you really know your way around all that”, he finally mumbled, when he had run out of questions. Henry laughed. “I didn’t pay attention in lessons, usually, but when it came to that stuff, I did enjoy most of it. So I guess I kept the knowledge. Even if...”, he hesitated for a moment, “all of it is lost on me now anyway.”

Gregor looked down at his hands. “Hey, for all it’s worth, I do think you’d have been... great at it. Being a commander, I mean.” Henry shot him a grateful smile. “Thanks. It is worth a lot, actually. But... how about it, are you ready for bed yet?”

Gregor instantly averted his gaze again. He thought about sharing his worries and thoughts on the Prophecy of Time and the state of his family but finally decided against it. Somehow, he felt he wasn’t ready to discuss it with anyone yet.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks again.” He stood up and stretched a little, before turning towards where the others had settled down. “Don’t mention it”, Henry called back, and remained at the fire, while Gregor thought he would at least try to sleep a little. And if he couldn’t, well, there was always echolocation to practice – now, that he didn’t feel like a complete failure at it anymore, at least to a degree.

Henry watched Gregor settle down, finally, and sighed. He had tried to sound encouraging, but in truth, he had his own worries. An actual war was beyond the mere theory, after all. I’m never scared of new things, usually, he thought, so why am I now?

Angrily, he stood up and decided to fetch some water for later. He could hear better than any ordinary human, and he was fairly confident should they be attacked, he would hear it coming, whether he was down at the river, that ran through an adjacent cave, or here.

Henry picked up a bucket and finally extinguished the torch before making his way to the water. Only already almost out of the tunnel leading to it, he realized someone was already there. How had she snuck past him?

“It is... strange. I look at him, and I feel like I should know more about him than I do.” Henry froze when he recognized Luxa’s voice. Her silhouette was now visible against the glow of the river, and next to her – “You, you surely must be able to tell me who he is! You know him... do you not?”

“That is not my job”, Kismet replied. She was leaning on the wall, facing Luxa. “But if you want to know so badly – why don’t you ask him yourself?” Luxa shrugged. “I... I can’t just walk up to him and – I can’t...”

She sighed. “Why am I like this...? What is happening to me? Why do I feel like I’m losing control of my own mind, it is –”, she interrupted herself, only to wrap her arms around her own body. “I hate it!”

Kismet hummed soothingly. “I know, child. Life has not been kind to you, but you can not let the past determine your present or your future. Look at it, child, look at him, and tell me you don’t know who he is.”

To Henry’s surprise, Luxa now held something up, something small, square-shaped. Against the light of the river he couldn’t make it out, but she apparently could.

“I... I...”, she stammered, her hand was shaking. “He is... he...”, she took a shaky breath, “he... is dead. He has to be. He is dead.”

“Is he now?” Henry jolted around when Kismet’s voice suddenly sounded closer. Luxa’s head jerked up as well, and now they were both staring at him. But Kismet’s gaze wasn’t angry, only sympathetic. “You need something?”

“I... I just wanted –”, he raised the bucket instead of an answer, and she chuckled. “Alright then. I have done what I could anyway. Now it is your turn.” With that, she disappeared into the tunnel, and Henry stared at her until she vanished out of sight and his gaze darted back to... Luxa.

Henry felt the silence ring in his ears, almost like it was suffocating him. All he could do was stare at her and curse Kismet for doing this, then again – they would part ways when they reached Regalia, tomorrow. This was... his last chance.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her raise the square-shaped object again. Only now he realized it was one of Gregor’s pictures. Had it fallen out of his pocket, earlier?

“You...”, her voice was almost trembling, “Are you... really here?”

He finally returned her gaze. “Can you see me? Can you hear me? How can I not be here?” Luxa blinked a couple times, before lowering her arm with the picture again. “Are you...”, she hesitated, “... are you a... ghost?”

Henry was taken aback by the question at first, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became – to her, that was exactly what he was. He knew he wasn’t the Henry she had once known anymore, even he had asked himself the question numerous times, as to what exactly he was – a walking corpse, a shadow of a once-living human? Or... a ghost. Why actually not.

Henry threw her a little smile. “Yeah. I’m a ghost. An illusion your unconscious has dreamed up to... to help you deal with whatever is bothering you. So shoot away, tell me everything. It’s what I'm here for.”

Luxa blinked a couple times as she watched him step closer, until he sat down at the bank of the river, gesturing her to join him. “Hey, don’t make my visit be in vain. You don’t get the chance to talk to a ghost every day, do you?”, he tried to sound upbeat, and apparently it worked, as Luxa carefully sat down next to him. Her gaze was firmly fixated on the shimmering water, but... she was here.

“I... you... came to see me, to hear out my worries?” She was still not looking at him. “Yeah. It’s what we ghosts do.” Luxa bit her lip, but Henry saw her suppress a smile. “I... I can’t seem to let the dead rest in peace”, she finally mumbled, and Henry felt his throat tighten.

“The... Dead? Is there... someone specific?” She nodded. “He was... my cousin. I once loved him dearly, like a best friend, like the... the older brother I never had. We protected each other, we could talk about everything, share secrets, adventures, memories.” Her voice was audibly shaking, “I remember when we were little, he was always the first I came to with news or ideas... and he came to me. He was always... there. Always. But then...”, she lowered her gaze, “then he wasn’t anymore.”

Henry realized he was clenching his jaw so hard it almost hurt. “He...”, Luxa swallowed, “he betrayed me. He conspired with king Gorger to capture Gregor. I never... never even learned why.” She sniffed, “I lied awake many nights, you know? Asking myself... why. What... what had gone so horribly wrong that he would...? What... I had done wrong?”

For the first time, she raised her gaze to look at him. “But he can’t tell me anymore. He is... dead. He died with Gorger, two years ago.” Henry realized his own hands were shaking. “But...”, Luxa audibly took a deep breath, “He still comes to haunt me. He... he can not let me go... and neither can I let him.”

They stared at each other for what could have been seconds or hours. “Do you know what his name was?”, she whispered, and the exiled prince nodded, slowly. “Henry.” Her voice rang in his ears, even though she had barely whispered.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. Henry felt like he had trouble breathing, let alone facing her. “Do you... are you happy he is dead?”, he finally asked, and heard Luxa wince. “W... why would you say that?” She sounded almost mortified. Henry didn’t look her way. “Because I am.”

“Why...”, she started stuttering, “why would you be?”

Henry bit his lip. “Because he deserved it. For what he did to you. You suffered at his foolishness and arrogance, and that is unforgivable. You said it yourself, did you not?” He finally looked her way, “Nothing is ever forgotten.”

Luxa stared at him, her expression unreadable. “I can not undo what... what he did”, Henry’s mind was reeling, nonetheless he suddenly had an idea, “but... but I can offer you something different.”

“What is it?” Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible. Henry swallowed. “He died... without ever getting the chance to, to... say goodbye, you know? There were many people he loved, despite what he did, and he... he would like to ask this of you, tell them in his stead, what he never could.”

He heard Luxa beside him shift, and when he looked up, she was staring at him with the round eyes of a child. “I... I can.”

Henry took a deep breath. “First... Tell Nerissa...”, he hesitated. This was his one chance to get a message to his beloved sister, he realized he did not think this through entirely, after all...

“... That... that he is very... Very proud of her always, and that she is always in his thoughts. She... She will be alright, he knows that and... he will never forget her. And”, he chuckled, “tell her she needs to continue kicking everyone’s ass like she always does.”

He vividly saw Nerissa’s narrow face, her huge, sorrow- and worry-filled eyes, and was suddenly painfully aware of how he would most likely never see her again. He had to blink away a tear, but he couldn’t afford to cry now. Not now.

Luxa stared at him, apparently at a loss of words. “I... I will tell her”, she finally whispered, not taking her eyes off him.

“Thank you”, he tried shooting her a smile. Then he took another deep breath, formulating the next message. “For Mareth... tell him... tell him that serpents are bitches... And that losing a leg doesn’t mean he’s any less capable.” He managed to chuckle a little, “Tell him, that he’ll pull through, and that he can still kick all your asses, even without the leg.”

This time, Luxa just nodded. He shot her a glance and suddenly realized she was eagerly waiting for more. Henry bit his lip, trying to think of more people to leave a message for. This was probably the only chance he’d ever get, after all.

“Tell Vikus... that he is sorry for... for how they parted. That he would have forgiven him, was there anything to forgive, for leaving us- them, with Ripred. Tell him...”, Henry felt a sting of shame when he thought of how he and Vikus had last parted, back in the Dead Land, “tell him – Fly you High.” The Fly you High I denied him, not aware it would be my last chance, he thought bitterly.

When he looked back at Luxa, he realized a tear shimmered in her eye. “I... can tell him.” Henry nodded and tried to find the strength for the last goodbye he had on his chest. The most important one.

He took a final deep breath – “Tell... tell Luxa, that...”, he realized his vision was blurring from tears, “That... he knows this sounds stupid, but... he never meant to... hurt her. It was... He wanted...”, Henry forcefully swallowed, stubbornly staring at the ground, “Tell her she... she is always on his mind, that she’ll kick ass as queen, and to tell hers and Gregor’s future kids stories... about their uncle Henry, so that they may remember him as more than... a traitor, if that isn’t too much to ask.”

He finally raised his gaze at her, only to see a tear rolling down her cheek, “Tell her he loved her. And he still loves her. Always.”

Luxa was visibly trembling now. She stared at him for another moment, before finally looking down. “Can... I ask you a question too?” Henry nodded, “Anything.” His heart was beating so loud he wouldn’t be surprised if she could hear it.

She almost angrily wiped her tear away, “Can you tell him, tell Henry... that Luxa, that I... also still love him?”

It was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. Her words rang in his ears, and Henry had trouble comprehending them, even though he knew he hadn’t misheard. “You... you what...?” He almost didn’t recognize his own voice.

“I... you...”, she looked up at him again, and for the first time in what had now been two years, Henry thought she was actually looking at... him. Not the Death Rider, not whoever she had seen him as during her period of denial, but at him... at Henry.

“You... came back... to me.” She was stammering and blinking, like she didn’t know where to look, before shakily rising to her feet, only to stumble a few paces back. “You came... back.”

Henry rose with her, almost instinctively taking a step towards her. “I always do.” He hesitated for a second, “You know I always do.”

She stared at him for a second, before taking a first, uncertain, step towards him. “Are... are you... real?”

Never since he’d gone into exile had he heard Luxa sound more like a child. She didn’t look like a child anymore. She had grown so much, and the almost gaunt face, the somewhat messy hair, and the purple bags under her eyes indicated she had the worries of a grown-up too. But now she stared at him with the eyes of the same child he had known... and betrayed, back then.

He already opened his mouth to assure her he was, when she took another step back. “You... aren’t.” His head was spinning. What was she...

“You said it yourself –” Her voice sounded desperate now, like she would burst into tears at any moment, “that you’re a ghost!”

Henry stared at her, trying to understand what was happening – “So at last, stop HAUNTING ME!”, she finally cried, turning around and rushing back through the tunnel towards the camp, leaving Henry to stare after her, on the beach... alone.


	22. Commander

“What do you mean, they’re gone?” Henry stared at Kismet, immediately forgetting about the backpack he was currently packing. The rat sighed. “As soon as he woke up this morning, Ripred insisted on scouting ahead. To ensure the road to your city is clear. And your child-queen insisted on coming along. She seemed in a dire mood, too.”

Henry sighed and averted his gaze. Of course she was. _So at last, stop HAUNTING ME!_ Luxa’s words, she had shouted at him last night, still rang in his ears. Henry had wanted to say so many things, yet she had not given him the opportunity.

He had no idea how long he had spent, sitting at that river, staring into the black oblivion, after she had stormed off, all he knew was that Kismet had eventually come to fetch him, claiming they should get going soon.

“That’s all on supplies we have left.” Henry’s head jolted up when Howard dropped a limp-looking backpack before him. When he peeked inside he saw it was almost empty.

“Well, I’m sure they’ll prepare a feast for you in Regalia anyway”, Henry shrugged, “And for a small breakfast it will suffice.”

He stood up, emptying the pack. It was indeed not much. Henry sighed and picked up the last bit of bread they had, before drawing Mys. “Gather the others”, he called to Howard, “I’ll make us what I can.”

Only five minutes later the whole group, minus the scouters, had gathered around the torch. They each chewed on a thinner-than-usual sandwich, and none looked particularly happy, but it was all the food they had left.

Only on second glance, Henry noticed it wasn’t the sparse food that dimmed the mood. “Hey, we’ll be fine, you all”, he called, as he hoped, cheerfully. “You’ll all be home soon, what’s with the long faces?”

The bats in one corner remained silent, like Iro who had even insisted he needed no food. Kismet didn’t answer either. Only Howard and Gregor exchanged glances. Finally, it was the Overlander who spoke – “We, yes. But what about you? Will you be alright out here?”

Henry gave a dry chuckle. “Have you forgotten I’ve lived out here for two years. It takes much to kill me, you know?” Gregor only bit his lip. “That was before we had war”, Howard continued. “The gnawers know you are our friend, they might target you directly.”

“So what?”, Henry shrugged. “Longclaw tried that before, and he lies dead in his own arena. Believe me”, he grinned, “I’m the last person you should worry about.”

That silenced them, but it didn’t help brighten the mood. Henry quickly deemed that task impossible and proceeded to pack up their things, after they had eaten up. “Let’s get going then”, he called, “or the Bane will have reached Regalia before us.”

He approached Thanatos and watched the others getting ready, as he thought, almost reluctantly. “Hey, do you know what their deal is?”, he asked Thanatos while strapping himself into the saddle, “they –” But before he could finish the sentence, he sensed steps beside him and as he turned his head, he saw Gregor.

The Overlander was looking at the floor, but Henry also sensed almost angry determination in him. “Hey, Henry”, he spoke, raising his gaze at last, “you... take care, okay?” And before the exiled prince knew what hit him, Gregor had caught him in a tight hug. “We don’t take you for granted anymore, you know? Just... don’t get killed. Please”, he mumbled, and Henry smiled, at last, patting his back. “I’ll do my best. And my best is pretty damn good, as you know.” Gregor just nodded.

“You just promise to practice your echolocation, okay?”, Henry spoke on, “And don’t let anyone boss you around or kick your ass. Especially not Ripred, you hear?”

“Oh, he won’t”, a different voice sounded from behind. Howard. Henry was about to release Gregor when, to his surprise, Luxa’s cousin almost awkwardly reached to pat his shoulder. “But he’s right. Don’t you dare get yourself killed. Not after all that.” He averted his gaze, “Luxa might someday forgive you for what you did, two years ago, but she would never forgive that.”

Henry opened his mouth to respond but then sensed Nike at Howard’s side, pressing her face against that of Thanatos, though grinning up at him. “Yes, take care! Both of you. Not only Luxa would hate you if you died now, we all would.” Even Ares, on Thanatos’ other side, hummed approvingly. “We need you alive. And that for more than just your fighting skills.”

Despite the desperate situation, and his less than successful talk to Luxa last night, a wide grin spread on Henry’s face. “Oh come on, you all, you can’t tell me you’re genuinely worried about me!”

It was almost like a warm, tingly feeling, creeping up in his chest, inducing hope and calming his strained nerves. Did they actually... care? For him? He vividly saw their hostile expressions when they had found out his identity, and could almost not believe his eye now. As Henry stared into their sympathetic faces, he finally allowed hope to flood him. Before the realization hit him that, now that they finally seemed to have accepted him, he might never see them again. This was... their goodbye.

“Of course they care”, Thanatos sounded from beneath him. “Congratulations on finally admitting to it, though.” All of them awkwardly laughed for a moment, before releasing each other. “Let’s just all not get killed, okay?”, Henry proposed, and Howard nodded. Gregor tensed up though, suddenly averting his gaze. Before Henry could ask what the matter was, a voice interrupted from behind – “If you’re all but done group-hugging over there, we have a war to fight, you know?”

Henry chuckled at Kismet’s almost cranky-seeming voice and heard Hera chuckle with Iro, on her side. But Howard and Gregor took her seriously. “Of course”, Luxa’s cousin mumbled, mounting Nike.

“One last thing”, Henry suddenly remembered, “You know, it would really help if you guys could just... you know, forget... my name, once you’re back home? Just for the sake of convenience.” Gregor instantly nodded, while Howard narrowed his eyes at him for a second. “You mean like you “forgot” MY name, back on the waterway?”

Henry froze for a second, before bursting out with laughter. “Oh, come on, I couldn’t just let an opportunity like that pass me by!” Howard sulked for a few more moments, before finally chuckling. “Well, fair. But... still. Horatius... really?”

“Yep. Really”, Henry grinned back, before Thanatos finally lifted off, like the other fliers, following Kismet who led their way after Ripred’s and Luxa’s scents.

They didn’t catch up to them in several hours, so long that Henry was about to start worrying they might have been spotted and caught, when at last Aurora’s golden form shot out of a side tunnel to join the fliers. Ripred had sat on a rock before them, and he too instantly pressed on when he spotted the others.

“The path we scouted was clear, though it requires some swimming on our part, Kismet”, he shouted in their direction, but nobody landed. Henry’s unease only grew as he watched Luxa’s back, flying in front of him.

“She needs time”, Thanatos mumbled, and Henry frustratedly pressed his face into the fur of his flier. “I hope you’re right.” He had not had much time to inform Thanatos on how their conversation had gone last night, only that she had sent him away in the end.

Their flight went rather uneventful, even though they had to cross a large portion of a river at some point, as Ripred had warned. But as Howard had predicted, about a day’s trip later they arrived at the outskirts of the cave bordering the one Regalia had been built in.

The fliers were tired but the sight now stretching before them instantly had everyone forget their exhaustion. “Impossible...”, Howard mumbled, as they glanced out of a tunnel exit, maybe fifty feet above ground, onto an assembly of hundreds of rats, who seemed to have gathered up at the wall that bordered Regalia’s territories, on the far end.

For some reason the sight of the wall made Henry’s throat tighten. Regalia... there it was. So close, yet so seemingly out of reach for him.

“They... they are so many...”, he heard Gregor mumble and nodded. “We need to be careful or we’ll get spotted”, he announced, looking for somewhere to hide. But the humans had, as it was custom, lit the cave with torches for the battle, so there were little opportunities to camouflage themselves.

“We can’t go further”, Ripred finally claimed, watching the distant wall keenly. “Thanks to the torches.”

“We’ll have to wait until they start fighting”, Henry added, biting his lip. Fantastic. More waiting. From the corner of his eye, he watched Luxa and saw she was clenching her jaw, like she was just as eager as he to finally engage.

“Why are they all not attacking? Like, what are they waiting for?”, asked Gregor suddenly, and Henry shot him a glance. “It’s most likely a challenge. You know, we discussed different types of battles last night. They are waiting for a signal.”

Gregor nodded, but the tension remained. For the next, give or take, ten minutes, Henry felt the silence almost suffocate him, and he realized he was digging his nails into the saddle straps. Come on, he thought. Attack.

When the first wave of fliers, at last, took off from the wall and the rats rose up to meet them, Henry almost sighed in relief. He saw the bats now flew in a tight formation and dove as one into the fray.

The group around him didn’t need another signal. Aurora with Luxa was up in the air first, Thanatos, Ares, Nike, and Hera instantly followed. He felt Thanatos had grabbed onto Ripred to lift him down, and from the corner of his eye, saw Ares do the same with Kismet.

Henry could see his companions head straight for the rats below, while Thanatos flew a circle in the air until the exiled prince had drawn and lit his sword. The Igniter, and maybe Mys later, if I feel like a second weapon, he thought. That or the boomerang, I’ll decide on the go.

As soon as his sword was burning, he raised it above his head, voicing a tremendous battle cry. Thanatos joined in and finally dove down, towards the rats. Then they fought.

As always when he fought, Henry stopped thinking. He only focused on his sensory input. The next target to hit. The next blow to dodge. He and Thanatos tore through the rows of rats with astonishing efficiency, mowing down rat after rat. They always seemed to draw back from the burning sword, occasionally even recognizing him, shouting “Death Rider!”

But Henry paid them no attention. Not those who retreated, not those who he struck down, not even the occasional flying by soldiers, gawking at him. Using the saddle to dodge and wielding his weapon with the precision of a master swordsman, Henry felt entirely in his element.

When the rats clustered around him, in an attempt to throw him off, the exiled prince drew Mys with his left hand, signaling Thanatos to perform their signature-coiler. Rotating down and stretching both his weapons away from his body, they tore through the screeching rats like a spinning saw blade.

Henry had no feel for the passage of time during battle, so he only seized fighting when he realized there were fewer enemies to hit around him. “They’re retreating!”, someone shouted from somewhere, and indeed, the rats seemed to have moved away from the wall now, gathering themselves at the back end of the cave.

Thanatos was hovering higher up now, and for the first time, Henry turned to check on his fellow travelers. There, on the ground, he spotted Ripred and Kismet, back to back, surrounded by dozens of rat corpses. Circling above their heads he spotted the black coat of Ares, with Gregor on his back, who now seemed to follow the call of a passing soldier for the humans to retreat as well.

“Should we?” Thanatos nodded in the direction of the platform atop the wall, interrupting Henry as he creaked his neck in search of Aurora’s golden and Nike’s striped fur. But neither Luxa nor Howard were anywhere in sight.

“Sure”, he nodded, only then realizing he was surrounded anyway. Five soldiers on their fliers were now circling around him, their weapons were sheathed but their faces stern. “Identify yourself!”, called one, “Follow us to the platform!”, another. Henry thought he recognized one or two faces, but he hadn’t the mind to think of their names now.

Even though they followed on his tail, Henry saw they retreated a little as soon as they saw Thanatos was headed for the platform anyway. Seeing the now tightly crowded space evoked a little smile, how many hours had he spent here, as a child, chatting away with the guards, or playing watchman with his toy sword?

As soon as the people on the platform spotted Thanatos, they instantly made room for him. When the flier touched down, Henry couldn’t help a slight nervousness rising in his chest – what did they want? Would they attempt to arrest him?

“Thanatos, it has been far too long. It is good to see you.” Henry’s eyes widened when he heard a clear, firm voice cut through the murmur around them. “... Solovet?!”

Henry met her gaze at last as she stepped forward to greet him. What was going on...? Why was Solovet here, and in her commander-uniform? Hadn’t Ripred mentioned she’d been arrested for causing the plague?

“Ah, the man with the burning sword knows my name. How curious.” She threw him a smile. “Am I right to assume I stand before the fabled Death Rider, who saved our travelers more times than it is worth counting? In all honesty, the mural in our nursery does not do you justice.”

Henry nodded almost mechanically, as he kept staring at her. Though, at first glance, she had seemed steadfast and stern as ever, now that he looked closer, the changes she had undergone since he had last seen her, became almost painfully obvious.

She wore the same uniform she had always worn, but now it seemed almost too big for her haggard form. She must have lost more weight than me, he thought. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken and even though she had visibly tried to conceal it by wearing her hair in the same tight braid she always had, it was noticeably thinner and paler. And then, when he, at last, returned her smile, he couldn’t help but notice her expression seemed friendly, but her eyes weren’t smiling along.

“We are the Death Rider”, he finally spoke, extinguishing his sword in the same breath, before sheathing it. “And I believe it shouldn’t come as a surprise I know you, most who have lived in Regalia at some point do.”

Solovet only nodded, seemingly inspecting him closer, “Very well. It is good to finally meet you.” To Henry’s surprise, she extended her hand in his direction. Her handshake was firm, yet her hand felt bonier than he remembered.

Then, a different bat attracted her attention, who had now touched down next to Thanatos. “Gregor, Ares, as good as it is to see your faces, I hope you are aware your irresponsible actions will have consequences.”

Gregor, who now slid off Ares’ back, instantly took a step back. “Oh, give the kids a break, Solovet – as... unexpected as it is to see you here”, someone snarled behind them, and to Henry’s surprise, Ripred emerged between the bats. “They did what they could, and they did a great job, too. Thanks to the diplomatic skills of your dear granddaughter, Regalia has itself two new allies. Come, come, Iro, introduce yourself, will you?”

Henry watched almost passively as Solovet and some of her substitutes talked to Hera and the pincher, who had joined them now. Instead of paying attention, he turned to Gregor. Lowering his voice considerably, he whispered – “What is Solovet doing in charge? I thought she was arrested for the plague-incident?”

The Overlander turned to him and whispered back – “Yeah, but apparently they put her back in charge when the war broke out. I didn’t really understand why or how either, to be honest.”

Henry eyed Solovet closer. Probably because they didn’t have anyone else experienced enough to lead in this war, he thought. And right they were. As strict and cold as Solovet sometimes was, he had always respected and looked up to her for her strength and keen mind. Then again, the Solovet before him now emitted a different kind of aura than he was used to, and something about it unsettled him.

Frustratedly, Henry shook his head. Now was not the time for that. “Hey, Ripred, what happened to Kismet?”, he turned to the rat who cowered beside Thanatos now, eyeing Solovet as well, with a certain curiosity. What Ripred responded shook Henry to his core – “She went out to look for Luxa and Howard.”

Luxa and Howard...? “Hey, Gregor, ask her where Luxa is”, he whispered at the Overlander, stopping himself from shouting out the question to her. As an outcast, she would surely think this kind of interest in the queen was inappropriate.

Gregor’s eyes instantly widened at the question, like he had almost forgotten himself. “Solovet, where is Luxa actually? And Howard?”

Solovet, who was still in discussion with Iro, turned their way again. “I sent them ahead to the city before any of you arrived here. They will also face consequences”, came the instant reply.

Henry exchanged a glance with Ripred. Howard, yes, but... had Luxa willingly obliged? A thorn pierced his heart at the thought she hadn’t even bothered looking at him, let alone said goodbye.

“When was that? I did not see them pass through at all”, Henry suddenly heard a familiar voice and turned to see Mareth on Andromeda, making his way towards Solovet. She gave him a dry smile. “Before the official call to retreat. I had them escorted.” Mareth raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Well, that explains why she followed willingly”, Henry mumbled.

“In any case”, Solovet turned back to the exiled prince now, “I must thank you for fighting at our side today. And I have to congratulate you on your fighting abilities. I have not seen any human-flier duo fight with the effectiveness you showed today. That construction you use to rotate is fascinating, indeed.”

Henry grinned. He knew from harsh experience how rare it was to hear praise from Solovet. And finally, someone who appreciated his saddle. “It’s pretty useful”, he tried to sound casual, “And – no problem. I escorted your queen and warrior here, so I might as well fight for you.”

She nodded in his direction, “And we are grateful for that, of course.” Then she turned to Ares and Gregor. “Though to you, Gregor, I must say, observing you in battle for the first time today, I am vastly disappointed.” She turned to Mareth, who stood beside her now, “He is woefully unprepared. This is not meant as criticism, I know your time with him has been very limited. But his equipment is flawed, he has not even a proper sword or armor and his left side is noticeably weak. Can we not double-arm him?”

Henry had to suppress a chuckle. This was standard Solovet-manner, alright. Judging by Gregor’s mortified face, he hadn’t had the honor yet.

But the more time passed, the more concerned for the others Henry got. If Luxa and Howard were indeed back in the city, why had Kismet taken off then? He took her for more attentive than to miss that. “Ripred, are you sure the others came through here?”, he finally whispered.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Solovet handing Gregor her own dagger, the one he had always wanted to hold when he had been little and the one she had always denied him until Hamnet had finally given him an equally beautiful one for his fifth birthday. The same one he was now safely carrying in his backpack.

“I’m not sure”, Ripred responded. “It’s hard to tell if they were flying. But if I were you, I’d go check.” Henry leaned forward to exchange a glance with Thanatos and nodded.

“So what do we do now? Are we going to attack again?”, he heard Gregor ask Solovet and she almost chuckled. “Us – shortly, yes. But you two? I am sending you both back to Regalia. To training.”

“Hey”, Henry interrupted Gregor’s offended and Ripred’s amused expressions, “As fun as this meeting was, I’ll be off now. Got places to be.” Solovet finally turned to face him, and for a moment she looked like she disapproved of letting him leave. Then she regained her self-control and eased up. “Of course. Do as you please.”

Henry audibly released a breath he hadn’t even been aware he had been holding, as soon as Thanatos was in the air. They waved both Ripred and Gregor with Ares goodbye as they left them behind on the platform and headed straight for the other side of the cave.

“I don’t get this”, Thanatos finally asked, as they scanned the surrounding area for any trace of their unaccounted for friends. “Why are we here looking for them? If Solovet says they are in Regalia, why should she be lying?”

Henry had no response. In truth, that was what he himself failed to understand either. But Kismet was out here for a reason. When he voiced this thought to Thanatos, his flier only nodded.

They avoided the rats as well as they could and continued flying close to the wall, ears peeled. Then, as they passed a big tunnel close to the ground, Thanatos’ ears twitched and he dove in.

Henry instantly reached for his weapon. “Where?” – “Further in. Rats. I can’t say how many though.” The exiled prince focused his hearing and finally distinguished the sounds himself. He instantly drew his sword.

Thanatos darted out of a cave entrance and Henry saw the rats by the sounds they made. He sliced the throat of the first rat in only seconds when he suddenly registered he wasn’t alone with them.

A piteous cry sounded from further in and Henry recognized the voice in a heartbeat. In a single motion, he drew his boomerang and it whizzed forth only to hit its mark, the throat of the gnawer closest to her.

Only now he recognized Luxa and Howard were both here, as Luxa’s cousin now audibly swung his sword around, how Henry assumed blindly. What were they doing here? How had Luxa and Howard gotten here and where were the rats coming from? Hadn’t they all retreated? He had no time to dwell on his questions though as more attacked now.

Though before Henry had the chance to raise his weapon to fight on, a screech tore the silence and he saw the leaping figure of a rat, clawing at the throat of the member of her own species. And within seconds, the battle was over.

Thanatos landed in the middle of the cave now, closely followed by another bat of whom Henry couldn’t tell if it was Nike or Aurora, using only echolocation. “Everyone alright?”, he called into the dark cave, before fetching his own torch.

When the light flickered, he saw their faces for the first time. “Yeah”, Howard groaned, but Henry instantly saw he was bleeding quite badly from his stomach. Next to him on the floor sat Luxa, and when Henry saw her, he froze in shock. Luxa, she seemed unharmed, but she was cowering over the awfully still body of a... golden bat.

“No...”, he whispered, his head started spinning. Aurora, was she...? Only when Howard managed to stagger over to her and confirm she lived, Henry felt the wave of relief hit.

He hastily untied the saddle straps and joined Howard, Nike, and Luxa around Aurora, who, as he saw now, was breathing shallowly. “What in the world happened here?”, he finally asked, looking around. “What are you guys doing in here?”

“I was about to ask the same”, another voice sounded from the shadow and Kismet emerged, her teeth still bloodied from the battle. She had a long cut on her leg, but Henry knew better than to think it would cause her any problems.

“We...”, Howard was leaning on Nike, visibly trying to prioritize Aurora over his own injury, but struggling. “We... it was like they chased us in here, and I mean deliberately. Us... no, her!” He pointed at Luxa, who was still sitting motionlessly, over Aurora, her face cloaked in shadow.

Henry furrowed his brows. What... what was going on? “... Chased?”, he asked, his voice husky. “But... Solovet said you were in Regalia!”

Both Howard and Luxa’s heads jolted up. “She... what?”, Howard stammered, “But that... why would she...?” He was visibly panting from pain now, holding his injury, pressing a cloth on it to stop the bleeding.

“Because she lied”, Kismet snarled from behind. All heads jolted in her direction. Henry stared at her like all the others, his exhausted mind tried to comprehend what the meaning of all this was.

“Why would she lie?”, Howard asked, audibly confused, and Henry shook his head. “There was something... in the way she said it. I don’t know, I had a weird feeling about it myself. Like I couldn’t trust it.”

“Trust...?” Henry instantly twirled around as he heard the weak but stern voice of Luxa. “You... you talk of... trust?” Henry blinked at her, almost confused. Almost like he didn’t know what she was referring to.

“Luxa, I...”, but before he could talk, she interrupted him – “You do not talk of TRUST TO ME!” In a single motion, she had risen to her feet, her stance had entirely changed, from defeated and desperate to aggressive, in only seconds.

Even Howard was perplexed at her outbreak, enough for Henry to get a better look, a look at what had happened. At what he had done last night. Luxa was not Luxa anymore, not the lively girl he knew and loved, with the expressive, light purple eyes and the big grin, not even the girl who had passively stared through him, calling him the Death Rider when she had perfectly known he was Henry.

No. This time, she was looking at him. The true him. And slowly she raised a finger to point, like in accusation. “You should have never shown your face to us, after what you did.”

Her words hit like a sword to the heart. Henry slowly opened his mouth to respond, yet no words came. But before he could do anything, Kismet had tugged at his arm, she stood in alert. “They’re coming. Mount up.”


	23. Princess

Everything from that point on was a blur. Henry barely registered Kismet, how she pushed him towards Howard and Nike, and how Luxa’s cousin dragged him onto her back before helping Thanatos lift up Aurora.

Kismet had, in the meantime, positioned herself in front of the entrance to the cave, and Henry heard her growl before the sound of battle rang in his ears once more.

His head was spinning, he could not think straight. _You should have never shown your face to us, after what you did._ It replayed in his head again and again, and every time felt like a new nail was driven into his already bleeding heart.

Luxa. Was this all his fault? Had he pushed her too hard? Was she right? Should he have never... Luxa! His gaze automatically met hers, and it was like the gears inside his head snapped into place again.

Before Nike could take off, he slid off her back. Luxa was still refusing to let go of Aurora, who now lied as a limp weight on Thanatos’ back. Henry almost collided with Howard when he twirled around to draw his sword and help Kismet fight the rats, who had apparently spotted or smelled them still alive in here, and were now seeping in through the entrance.

But Henry knew this wasn’t the way. They needed to get out of here. Attempting to fight now was certainly a bad idea, as the rats could easily destroy their light source, and neither Howard nor Luxa were capable of echolocation, so they would be useless. No, he thought, they needed better light. They needed to leave.

The noises in the room, together with the still burning torch Howard had grabbed and wielded with his second hand, painted a clear image of the cave in Henry’s head and he saw where to go – a second, smaller, exit at the back end. The fliers had surely seen it too.

Luxa screamed violently as Henry grabbed and lifted her up in the air, forcefully tearing her away from Aurora. “You can’t help her now!”, he called but was almost certain she hadn’t registered his words. He easily threw her over his shoulder and carried her back over to Nike, who was waiting impatiently. “We need to leave. Back exit. Reach water. A light source. Maybe further in”, Henry called to her, hoping she’d understand his chipped speech, and indeed, the striped bat nodded. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Luxa was still ferociously protesting, her screams echoed from the walls and she was pounding his back with her fists, but Henry was much stronger than her. In a single motion, he loaded her onto Nike’s back and called Howard’s name – “Howard, come, we need to leave!”

Luxa’s cousin understood the direness of their situation instantly and retreated until he mounted Nike behind Henry, extinguishing the torch in the same second. They were good to go.

“I’ll hold them back and catch up later!”, Kismet called, her tail swiping a rat off his feet and her claws digging into the throat of another. “Save the queen!”

Nike understood, and followed Thanatos who had already lifted off, diving into the back exit Henry had spotted earlier, in the opposite direction from where the rats came. Away from the big cave. Away from Regalia.

In the meantime, Henry had to use all his strength to keep Luxa on Nike’s back. She had not seized fighting him for a single moment, and when the back of her fist finally hit his forehead so hard he saw stars for a second and felt a drop of blood run down his cheek, Henry decided he had no choice. If she kept her yelling up, any possible danger lurking out there would easily find them, and they could not afford that. Not now.

He swiftly drew his boomerang and hit the dull side on her head, hard, but not too hard. She let out a sharp but short cry, before sinking back, unconscious. Henry quickly stored away his boomerang and wrapped his arms around her to make sure she would stay on Nike’s back – at least that’s what he told himself.

“I’m sorry”, he whispered, barely audible, tightening his grip and burying his face in her curls. Had anyone asked what he apologized for, he wouldn’t have had an answer.

Henry had no idea how much time passed before the fliers finally landed, on the sandy beach by a small lake. He had never been here before, but the exiled prince thought they must be close to the Firelands. They had passed a couple volcanos on the way.

He had no idea when Luxa had awoken from her unconsciousness, but she had been awake when they landed. She had been the first off Nike’s back, instantly darting over to Thanatos to check on Aurora. The only thing Henry didn’t understand was, why she had let him hold her, if she had been awake.

“We should be safe here, for now”, Howard dismounted and took a couple steps towards the lake, before groaning and pressing his hand to his stomach. “We need to... do a medical check-up... and wait for... Kismet...” He finally collapsed to his knees on the beach.

“A medical check-up on you, yeah.” Henry followed him and grabbed his arm to help him stand. “I’m unharmed. You’re the only one who needs medical attention here. Well”, his gaze darted over to Aurora, who now lied on the beach, Luxa hovering above her, “You and her.”

Henry insisted Howard stopped his own bleeding before tending to Aurora. He claimed if the doctor went out of commission, they would all be doomed, and Howard obliged, though he visibly hurried.

His own injury was a mere flesh wound and he bandaged it up fairly quickly, though Henry was perfectly aware of how painful it must be. He had suffered enough similar injuries, during his time as an arena-champion.

Then Howard approached Aurora. It was a heartbreaking scene, watching him almost forcefully separate Luxa from the golden bat, in order to examine her. This time, Luxa did not scream – she cried.

Henry saw her whole body shaking with sobs, as she staggered away from Aurora, at last, collapsing on the floor. It’s all too much for her, he thought. The battle, the trap she had been chased into, and him – the knowledge he was here was most likely a significant part of the problem for her.

Henry was at a loss as to what to do. Everything in him screamed to go over and comfort Luxa, but at the same time, he thought an offer for comfort from him would only make things worse. So all he did was stare at her, sitting on the floor, wrapping her arms around herself, sobbing uncontrolled.

She must feel like she’s all alone now, alone and betrayed, he thought, realizing he was shaking himself. Aurora is badly hurt, Howard is too busy saving her bond’s life to comfort her, Solovet lied about her whereabouts, and Gregor and the rest of her family are miles away, in Regalia.

No, he could not. As soon as Henry finished the thought, he stood up. He could not let her face this alone. Would she push him away? Maybe. But he didn’t know for certain until he tried.

“She will be alright.” Luxa didn’t react when Henry kneeled down next to her at first, she just kept crying. “Howard knows what he’s doing. Luxa!”, he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, “Luxa, you’re not alone!”

It was like his words had sent an electric shock through her body, she jolted around, and Henry winced as he saw the furious expression in her eyes. “Y... you’re LYING!”

He blinked a couple times, unable to respond, but Luxa didn’t leave him any time to speak anyway. Instead, she jumped up, anger shone in her gaze. “You... you... GET AWAY FROM ME!” She was heaving now. When he didn’t react, she repeated – “I SAID GET AWAY! I won’t HEAR more LIES from YOUR MOUTH! I WON’T HEAR”

Howard, still tending to Aurora, turned around now, “Luxa, he –”, but she was too enraged to listen. She loomed over Henry now, who was still sitting on the floor, frozen in shock. “Lies! LIES! They are all LIES! Ever since you... you came back, I heard nothing but LIES! You... how dare you call yourself my friend, what FRIEND fakes an identity to get close to you, WHAT friend LIES TO YOU, pretending to be some HERO when in truth, he is only trying to deceive and take advantage of you, LIKE HE ALWAYS HAS?!”

She was no longer trembling from sobs. Now she trembled of anger. “I... I told you to STOP HAUNTING ME! Stop feeding me lies, I WON’T HEAR! Stop manipulating my friends into lying to me as well, what is it you want to achieve with that?! TELL ME!”

She took a step forward and he heard her voice crack. “You... you came to me, you said you were a ghost, come to say goodbye, all in an effort to deceive me further! What is it you are planning this time? Now that you have so meticulously worked on gaining my trust, OUR trust, what is it YOU WILL DO? Sell my life to the Bane, LIKE YOU TRIED WITH GORGER?!”

“LUXA!”, Howard cried, but she still didn’t listen, “I wish you would have never bothered COMING BACK! It would have been better for us all, had you STAYED DEAD – HENRY!”

He watched, like through a layer of mist, as she finally stormed off. Howard was now yelling something at her, but she paid him no attention. Henry couldn’t avert his gaze even though looking at her was like holding his hand above a burning flame. He had done it enough as a child to know how much it hurt. But it didn’t hurt enough.

He barely registered something wet rolling down his cheek, dripping into the sand beneath. His vision blurred more, and had they been attacked this very moment, Henry would have been the first one to be killed. He had not even the strength to lift his finger.

Someone was there, in his back, pressing his head against him. Henry thought he heard someone speak, the voice was familiar, but his ears were ringing. _It would have been better for us all, had you stayed dead – Henry!_

_Henry._

She had called him by name. It was the first time in two years he had heard his name from her lips, but it was not comforting or soothing, no, it was burning like a drop of acid on top of everything else she had said.

Henry finally managed to sink on his back, there was Thanatos – was it him? The flier’s fur was black, it must be. Henry hadn’t the strength to look, even to keep his eye open. He pressed his face into the fur of his bond and shut his eye, passing out almost instantly.

“It’s no use. They’ll probably be guarding or sealing the entrance, if the trap was thorough. We need to find another way back.” Henry was staring at the little group, assembled around a torch on the beach, and only seconds later realized he was awake.

“I haven’t traveled in this part of the Firelands much, but I should be able to guide you back home nonetheless.” Henry stared at them more and suddenly realized the one speaking was... “Kismet!” She was back.

Kismet turned to him, Henry thought she was smiling. “Ah, he is awake at last. Come, come, join us. We are currently trying to figure out what to do next.” But Henry didn’t move. His gaze was fixed on Luxa. He couldn’t.

Kismet followed his eye and exchanged a glance with Howard, before standing up and walking over to him. “Howard says you’re uninjured. Come up, boy, we need your strength now.”

From the corner of his eye, Henry saw Luxa snort and stand up, to sit beside Aurora, who was hanging a little offside now, seemingly doing better already. Howard threw her a worried look but finally followed Kismet to Henry.

He placed a hand on his forehead as if to measure his temperature. “Are you feeling any better?” His gaze was worried. Henry stared at him for a while, before nodding. “Sure.”

He needed to get up, or they wouldn’t believe him. Henry attempted to lift himself up but had to grab onto Kismet’s paw to help himself sit. His head was spinning and he blacked out for a second, before regaining composure. Only then he noticed a couple fresh gashes on her body, presumably from fending off the rats. “So, what’s the plan?”

Kismet, Howard, and Thanatos exchanged worried looks, though the latter instantly moved a little to stretch his wings. He must have let me sleep on his back for a long time, Henry thought and felt guilty for having caused his bond discomfort.

“Getting her back to Regalia. Finally”, Howard finally answered, pointing at Luxa, “Though that will pose difficult as this seems to have been a deliberate trap. Kismet could not find out who set it, but that much she gathered from the attackers.”

Henry nodded, instinctively following Howard’s gaze. “Where do we go then?” Kismet sighed. “There is a way, though it will lead us close to what the Bane has chosen as his camp, according to rumors. Have you ever heard of the Plain of Tartarus?” Henry thought the name sounded familiar.

“It lies further north, almost directly north of Regalia, even. It’s a dangerous path, but perhaps an informative one”, Kismet implied, and even though Henry was still chipped from earlier, he understood immediately. “You think we can spy on them?” Kismet hummed. “If... an opportunity presents itself.”

Henry nodded, before grabbing onto her tighter to lift himself to his feet. “What are we waiting for then?”

“Welcome back, Gregor. It is good to see you. Have you found all that you need?” Gregor twirled around, Sandwich’s sword in hand. No, he suddenly thought. His sword. Vikus was standing in the doorway to the museum, Gregor thought he looked almost sad. “Oh, hi, Vikus.” He smiled back. “Yeah. I think I’ve got it.”

“Good”, Vikus still looked a little pained, and very tired. “Because I’m afraid you’ll need it.” He paused for a second, “You just arrived back, right? Solovet said you came to fight the rats before the city walls, together with the Death Rider.”

Gregor nodded. As soon as he and Ares had arrived back in the High Hall, he had headed for the museum to grab the sword. He was certain Solovet was expecting him in training, or Mareth, or whoever it would be, but he thought he should get the sword before he went to the arena.

Though, maybe there was something else he should do first. He hadn’t seen Luxa or Howard anywhere, ever since back in the palace, and he wanted to go check on his mom and Boots too. He had been gone for so long, again, and he had slowly but surely gotten anxious for them, though, at first glance, the palace seemed as peaceful as ever. Sure, Gregor had encountered more armored soldiers than usual, on his way to the museum, but no panic or turmoil was going on.

But before he could open his mouth to ask Vikus for any of his loved ones, he beat him to it – “Gregor, I know Solovet sent you to training, but I believe there is something else I should tell you. About”, Vikus hesitated, “It is about your family.”

Gregor’s heart skipped a beat. His mother. Boots. All his worries instantly popped back into his head. Had something happened while he was gone? “Are they alright?” Gregor sheathed the sword and stepped closer to Vikus, he couldn’t prevent his voice from shaking a little.

“Yes, yes, they are all alright”, Vikus reassured him. “That is not it. But Gregor, I believe you should follow me.”

Even though Vikus had said everything was alright, Gregor still couldn’t shake his fear. All the time following Vikus through the palace he was nervously fumbling with the jeweled handle of Sandwich’s – his – new sword, consciously keeping himself from running.

His worry grew more as he realized Vikus was leading him into the hospital. “Are we seeing my mom?”, he asked nervously, “has her relapse gotten worse?” But Vikus shook his head. “She is feeling much better already, actually. Not well enough to leave the hospital yet, but soon.” Vikus’ words reinvigorated Gregor a little, that was good news.

They eventually turned the corner to his mom’s room, and Gregor couldn’t help but start running ahead. No doctor stopped him when he opened the door, “Mom, I’m back –” As soon as the door swung open and he stood in the room, Gregor froze in shock.

“Gregor, baby, there you are!”, she called from her bed. She was sitting up now, next to her a used plate she must have emptied earlier. She looked so much better than he remembered, too. But that was not the reason Gregor found himself unable to move.

“Gregor!” Two small arms wrapped themselves around his legs and Gregor unbelievingly stared down at the messy, brown curls of... “Lizzie?!”

“Gregor, there you are! You can’t always just disappear like that.” Gregor’s head jolted in the direction of the other voice and his eyes widened in shock at the sight of... “Dad?”

He stood up from the chair he had been sitting on and moved towards Gregor. “Oh, Gregor... your mother was very worried, and me too. We were expecting to find you here, when Lizzie and I came, but instead, they told us you were out and unaccounted for.”

When his dad caught him in an embrace, lifting Lizzie up into his arms, Gregor was still staring at them, not believing what he heard and saw. Finally, his gaze met the doorway, where Vikus stood now.

“Y... you...” He was unable to express what he felt. What were they doing here? What in the world had moved them, moved Lizzie, to make their way down here?

“Gregor, come here”, his mother suddenly called and his dad released him, only to follow him to her bedside. “Mom, what is...”, he stammered, throwing glances back and forth between his parents and sister. “Oh my god”, she suddenly called as she inspected him closer, “Gregor... is that a... a sword?”

He instantly tried to hide it behind his back, but it was too late. “I... I need it”, he mumbled, not looking at her. His mom did not even allow him to carry a pocket knife and now he wandered in here, with a real-life sword. Great.

To give her little time to dwell on it, he tried changing the subject, “But dad, Lizzie, what are you all even doing here?” – “We had to come”, Lizzie mumbled, climbing onto his mother’s lap. “It’s grandma.” Gregor looked at his dad, who nodded. “She... she is very sick.” His dad lowered his gaze. “She’s in the hospital now. Mrs. Cormaci is looking out for her.” He shook his head slightly, “We owe that woman so much”, he mumbled, and Gregor thought he wholeheartedly agreed.

“But you...”, his dad interrupted him. “I couldn’t go alone, and leave Lizzie behind. And I wouldn’t let her go alone either. Even though she offered. My brave little girl.” He messed Lizzie’s curls and she giggled a little.

“Gregor, they came to take us home.” His gaze darted over to his mother, who now cupped his cheek with her hand. “We were just waiting for you. I am almost ready to leave. The doctors say a week at most, then I am free to go.” Home. Gregor looked at his parents, his mom, and her hopeful smile, his dad, grinning back at her. Home?

“I can’t go home.” Both his parents turned his way as he blurted out the words. Gregor swallowed at their mortified faces. His thoughts reeled back to the Prophecy. _When the warrior has been killed._

“Nonsense, Gregor”, his dad furrowed his brows, “What are you talking about?” Gregor’s gaze fell back on Vikus. Even if he wanted, he realized, they would never let him leave now. Not before this war ended. Not before he had spilled the monster’s blood.

Gregor took a deep breath. Not even if he wanted. For a second, he considered it. Considered sneaking away, with his family. Have Ares take them up, to never return again. That was what his parents wanted, probably. But... was it what Gregor wanted?

“I can’t go”, he firmly stated, instinctively gripping the handle of the sword. “I can’t go, because I can’t just abandon everyone here. Mom, they need me. My friends are all here, and they need me. They are counting on me to stay and help, and that”, he paused, his mind reeling back to what he had seen. The corpses at the bottom of the pit. The mice suffocating in the volcano. Luxa’s determined face, when she had sworn her oath. “That is what I want, too.”

“I am awaited in the council room. They have turned it into a war command center now.” Vikus was audibly displeased. “To negotiate new alliance contracts with the friends your party made on their way. That pincher, Iro, he is a fascinating conversation partner.” Vikus smiled. “So I’m afraid, here is where we part ways. Mareth awaits you in the arena.”

Gregor nodded. They stood before the former council room, and Vikus placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for saying what you did, to your parents. We are all eternally grateful to have you.”

Gregor smiled at him. Yes, his words had actually silenced his parents up. They had only exchanged glances, and when he had turned to look back at them upon leaving, he thought the way they looked at him had shifted. Their gazes had not been angry, like at a defiant child, but... strangely calm and almost sad, like parents who had realized their child was no child anymore.

“See you, Vikus!”, Gregor called after him and made his way to the High Hall. He knew the way by now. There, he was greeted by Ares, who, to his surprise, had Solovet’s bond Ajax at his side. “He is to escort us to the arena and supervise our training”, the black bat explained, and Gregor gave the giant rust-red bat a nod. “Hi. I don’t think we’ve properly met yet.”

Ajax returned the nod. “It is good to make your acquaintance, warrior. Now follow me.” He instantly lifted off and Ares had to hurry to follow. “Not the most talkative, is he?”, Gregor remarked when they were in the air, and Ares hummed approvingly. “I do not care much for him. Almost no one does. Of course, very few care for me, either.” So Gregor tried to keep an open mind about Ajax.

In the arena, he was awaited by Mareth and a female soldier, whom Gregor at first didn’t recognize. “Gregor, welcome – oh, have they still not given you proper armor?” Mareth threw him an encouraging smile. Then, pointing at the woman next to him, “You remember Perdita?”

Perdita! Gregor thought he recalled the name, and then it dawned on him, he had met her during his very first visit in the palace. “Hi Mareth, hi Perdita, it’s nice to see you again!” She smiled at him. “It is an honor, Overlander. Mareth and I will oversee your training today. Please follow us.”

The next couple hours flew by, the two soldiers were excellent teachers and by the time they granted him his first break, Gregor was much better at handling both his sword and his new dagger. After the break, he reunited with Ares, whom they had sent to train with Ajax, and they practiced different airborne maneuvers. In the end, the time flew by so fast he was surprised when someone offered him dinner. Only when he saw the food, he realized he was starving.

Ares and he sat to eat with Mareth and Perdita, right there in the arena, and for the first time, Gregor had the opportunity to properly digest all that had happened since his arrival back.

He still shook his head at the impossibility his entire family was now down here. He had almost written off the thought of ever seeing Lizzie in the Underland if he was perfectly honest. But then again, they all had seemed... to be doing good. His mom was almost cured, and his dad... Gregor had no idea when he had last seen him doing this well. Even Lizzie had seemed alright. Maybe, he thought, maybe his mother’s rule applied after all. Maybe things were best when they all were together.

After they had more or less finished eating, the two soldiers started asking Gregor questions about his travels with the Death Rider, and Gregor willingly talked, though made sure to keep Henry’s identity a secret.

“I am vastly disappointed I was not there to see him today”, Perdita remarked, “I have heard tales of him, but never saw him in person.”

“You’d get along”, Gregor smiled. He thought Henry must know Perdita, they seemed like they would get along. “Yes, Luxa speaks very highly of him”, Mareth added, and Gregor’s head jolted up. Luxa.

“Where is Luxa, actually?”, he finally asked. “And Howard? Solovet said they were here!” He hadn’t seen any of them this entire time. Mareth and Perdita exchanged glances. “Then they must be, though nobody has mentioned to us the queen has returned.” Perdita sounded cautious.

“Well, maybe you should go and ask dear Solovet herself then.” Gregor twirled around as he heard the familiar snarling voice. “Ripred!”

“In the flesh”, the rat grinned and plopped down next to him, shamelessly starting to help himself to the food before them. Gregor cared little. His hunger was satisfied anyway.

“I’ll do exactly that, then”, he announced, as he got to his feet. “Or do you guys still need me here?” Mareth and Perdita exchanged glances. “Not to my knowledge”, Mareth shrugged. “You’re free to go, Overlander”, Perdita nodded.

Gregor turned around to Ares. He had no idea where Solovet was, but he would find her eventually. He needed answers. “Let’s go then –”, but before he could even lift his foot to mount up, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. “Overlander?”

Gregor turned, only to see an Underlander he had never seen before standing before him. “Yeah?” The man cleared his throat again. “Overlander, you are being called to the code room. They said there is some emergency with your sister.”

Gregor was sprinting through the halls, almost faster than Ripred could lead. What sister? He thought primarily of Boots, he hadn’t seen her yet. But what if it was Lizzie?

Then again, what would Lizzie be doing in this code room? Ripred had explained on the way that it served the purpose of breaking the secret code the rats used to communicate in times of war. Gregor had trouble believing any of his sisters would somehow end up there. Then again, he remembered the prophecy. It spoke of a code, a code broken by a princess. Did they mean Boots?

“Faster, come on!”, he urged Ripred, who groaned. “What would any of them even be doing in this code room?”, he asked, and the rat sighed. “Boots has spent most of her time there. They think she is the princess who will break the code. But if you ask me, we’re misinterpreting something there. She is... oh well, hard to bear.”

So that was it. Gregor quickened his pace more. It had to be Boots. As he sprinted down the narrow hallway his foot slid in something. Blood. Someone had bled, leaving a trail all the way to the door. “Boots!”, he cried. If they had hurt her, if they had harmed one hair on her head –

Boots flew into the hall. “Gre-go! Gre-go!”, she called in distress. He picked her up, running his hand through her curls, looking for injuries. “What’s the matter? Are you okay? Did somebody hurt you?”

“No, I am okay. In here! In here!” Boots tugged on his shirt to make him enter the room. Totally confused now, Gregor stepped inside. There, crouched in the center of the stone floor, was Lizzie.

“Oh, no”, Gregor exhaled. He quickly scanned her with his eyes, but she did not seem to be bleeding. She was still hurting though, because Lizzie was in the middle of one of her panic attacks. She was panting for air, shaking like a leaf, and he could see the shine of sweat on her palms.

“Lizzie!”, he called, stepping into the room, only to almost collide with Nerissa. “I will send for your father.” As she spotted his concerned look, she quickly reassured, “The blood is not hers, it’s Hermes’. He came here with new scrolls of code earlier. He was ambushed by gnawers. But your sister”, Gregor only now saw Nerissa was shaking herself, “She wanted me to show her the palace, but when he came in and collapsed, oh Gregor! She is not injured, but we cannot quiet her!”

He gave Nerissa a grateful nod. The sight of an injured bat was most certainly enough to scare Lizzie this much. He quickly kneeled down next to her, “Lizzie, Lizzie, I’m here.” He wished he had one of the paper bags they kept in the kitchen for these kinds of situations, but of course, he didn’t have any. He still tried his best – “Breathe. Nice and slow now. Nice and slow. I’m here, and I’m not going to let anyone harm you.” He knew it had been a bad idea to bring her here.

“Now, wait, Nerissa, I don’t think we need to trouble their dad with any of this.” Ripred now swept into the room behind Gregor, who had almost forgotten he existed. Lizzie’s head instantly jolted up. Ripred’s nose was twitching, clearly registering the unfamiliar smell. Then his eyes landed on Lizzie, and he became still, except for the tip of his tail, which twitched from side to side.

An expression came over his face that Gregor had never seen before. If he had to put a name to it, Gregor would have called it... tenderness. The rat’s voice became positively gentle – “Oh, I didn’t know we had company. But I bet I can guess who you are. You’re Lizzie, aren’t you?”

Lizzie just stared over Gregor’s shoulder at the giant, scarred rat. “You’re Ripred”, she whispered. “That’s right. I’m glad to finally get to meet you. I wanted to thank you for all of the lovely snacks you’ve sent me. They’re always the high point of my day”, Ripred snarled. Or... purred? Gregor thought his tone almost sounded like it.

He shook his head almost in disbelief, staring at the scene. Gregor could not make sense of Ripred’s behavior. Why was he being so nice to Lizzie? He had never been nice to Boots.

The rat moved in slowly. “Sometimes it helps if you talk,” he said. “Do something to distract yourself.”

The next ten minutes Gregor watched the scene unfolding before his eyes, almost thinking he was dreaming. It was like Lizzie’s appearance had entirely changed him, not a single drop of the usual spite and crankiness was left when he talked to her. Instead, he soon lied down beside her, distracting her with math problems.

Gregor was so absorbed in the scene that he completely neglected to look around the room, and when a cockroach and a bat suddenly appeared on Ripred’s left, to participate in the conversation, he almost jumped.

Luckily, Nerissa had him covered. “They are the code team. A member of each species works in this room, to break the code. Oh, and one particular member you should recognize.” She smiled and pointed at the second rodent, who had now sat down on Lizzie’s right, marveling at her math skills.

Gregor’s eyes widened as he recognized the black mouse. “Teslas!” He instantly took a couple steps forward, “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Only now he realized he had never gotten the chance to check up on him after they had brought him to Regalia.

Teslas turned to him. “Oh, hello Gregor. It is good to see you. I’m feeling much better, yes.” Gregor eyed him and thought Henry would be glad his friend was okay, though his eyes were still misted with pain. Of course, he thought, he watched his entire family die. And most of his species with them.

“Teslas?”, asked Lizzie suddenly, “Like the inventor? Nicola Tesla?” Ripred hummed approvingly. “Oh, that’s right. You are indeed smart. Especially since, if I’m informed correctly, he here is an inventor too.”

Gregor stood by Nerissa and watched his sister, sitting between the two giant rodents, now almost happily chatting. Soon, Ripred asked Temp to take Boots to the nursery, and as soon as she was gone, the rest of the code team joined them too. Gregor saw the bat and a spider, both coming to greet Lizzie, who seemed to have completely recovered from her attack. They all seemed to be almost excited. Could it be they were just relieved to have Boots out of their hair? But no, it seemed like something more had happened. But what exactly?

Just then Ripred stood up. The rat was actually smiling at Lizzie. “So”, he said, “So, so, so.” He sat back down on his haunches and then tipped his head forward in an elaborate bow. “Welcome to the Underland, Princess.”


	24. Lies and Truths

Gregor stared into the darkness. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes – he could do this. It was possible. He clicked his tongue. He tried to empty his mind, like Henry had told him, focus only on the sensory input. The sound. Click. Click.

“There is some trick to make it more complicated. Some sort of substitution.” Gregor furrowed his brows when his ears picked up the voice from outside the little separated area designated for humans in the code room. “Found it not, have we, found it not”, a different voice replied now.

Gregor sighed. The problem with focusing on sensory input only was... exactly that. He got sensory input. Sensory input he didn’t want. Frustratedly, he opened his eyes again. There was really no quiet place in this entire palace, was there? Well, maybe Ripred would know one. But Gregor didn’t want to ask Ripred. The rat would just pick on him more, and diminish his accomplishments, as always. So, for the lack of better options, Gregor stood up. He decided he could just as well go check on Lizzie.

Yesterday, after Ripred had addressed her as “Princess” for the first time, the entire code team seemed to have rejoiced. They had instantly accepted her into their rows, and, as happy as Gregor was, to see his sister so appreciated, he thought they were putting to much pressure on her.

He knew Lizzie. Once they had hammered it into her head that she had to break this code, she would start stressing herself out over it, in fear to disappoint. And as expected, she had not left the code room since. Even when he had offered to take her back to the hospital to their parents and Boots for the night, she had refused.

“I can’t leave, Gregor”, she had called, eyeing the code team around them, “They need me here.” And that had been that.

Nerissa had been kind enough to inform his parents Lizzie would be staying in the code room, together with Gregor. He knew he couldn’t just leave her alone to sleep here, not even with Ripred around. And besides, his parents would definitely freak if they found out he had left his not even nine-year-old sister with a giant rat for a babysitter. So they had moved into the code room together.

To his surprise, Gregor had found that would be less of a problem than he had originally thought. The room was, in fact, equipped to accommodate code team members of all species, including humans. It even had little separate bedroom-areas for everyone, and he and Lizzie had moved into the one reserved for humans.

Solovet had apparently also found out where he had gone, after his training, and only half an hour after he had first arrived here, two soldiers had appeared in the door, saying they had been tasked to guard him, to “prevent further escapades”, one had said.

Gregor had not known how to feel about that at first, but before he even had the time to react, Ripred had appeared behind him, calmly telling the guards they weren’t needed. “I’ll watch him”, he claimed, “Tell Solovet that, won’t you?”

The guards had exchanged a glance but finally disappeared. They hadn’t reappeared either, so Gregor thought Solovet trusted Ripred to guard him. The only thing he didn’t know was whether he liked the thought.

And of course, this next morning, his sister had been up earlier than him. Gregor had slept like a rock, after the ordeals of the last battle. He hadn’t had much time for rest in general, recently, so he had been insanely tired, and naturally, the last one to get up.

Now, he determinately stepped through the curtain that separated the little bedroom-cove from the main code room and was greeted with the sight of Lizzie, sitting in the middle, surrounded by the code team. They seemed to be explaining something to her.

“Hey, everyone”, he mumbled, still a little drowsy. He had not even eaten breakfast yet, only quickly done his morning routine, and then proceeded to practice echolocation.

“Oh, there he is, our sleeping beauty”, Ripred’s mocking voice sounded and Gregor instantly wanted to turn around and disappear in the bedroom again. But then something caught his attention, something powerful enough to stop him. The smell of food.

Only five minutes later Gregor sat on the floor with Lizzie and Ripred, stuffing himself with all the food he could get a hold of. He hadn’t eaten since his dinner in the arena, and only now realized he had been starving. The rest of the code team had disassembled, they had already eaten, only Lizzie and Ripred had remained.

“So”, he threw Ripred a glance, “what happens now? Do I need to go to training again or is there going to be a battle soon?” Only when he noticed Lizzies large, worried eyes, he realized the thought of him going into battle probably scared her.

But before he could open his mouth to reassure her he would be okay, they suddenly heard a crowd of distressed voices from outside the room. Then footsteps closed in on them, hasty footsteps.

Gregor didn’t need to look at Ripred to know something must have happened. He instantly sprung up, quickly ran back to his bedroom to grab his sword, and stepped outside the room, ready to face whatever danger had come upon them.

But instead of armed soldiers, speeding into battle, he almost ran over a woman in the attire of a doctor. “I’m so sorry”, he mumbled, she only nodded in his direction, before calling out to two other doctors who had followed her, “We have room in the hospital, not much, but it will accommodate them. Take them this way.”

Before Gregor could ask who she meant, the female doctor ran ahead, and her colleagues soon followed. But they weren’t alone. In shock and disbelief, Gregor watched more than a dozen nurses carry what he counted to be eight stretchers past the code room, towards the hospital. On each lied a heavily breathing, twitching mouse.

Gregor twirled around as he heard a frightened scream behind him, only to stare into Lizzie’s huge, fearful, blueish-green eyes, peeking over Ripred’s shoulder.

“Shh, don’t be scared”, the rat mumbled now, “they are taking them to the hospital, not to their graves. They are in good hands now, trust me, humans have many flaws, but their knowledge in medicine is not one of them.”

Lizzie squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Ripred’s fur. “Okay”, she mumbled, but she was still visibly trembling.

“They... live...” Gregor’s gaze darted away from his sister when he heard another voice, behind Ripred, and instantly recognized the black mouse who had stepped out into the hall now.

“Yes, they live. Not many, but these ones live. And with them will live your species”, Ripred addressed Teslas now, who was still almost unbelievingly staring after the long out of sight mice.

“S... species?”, Lizzie poked her head up again, now staring at Teslas. “Why... species? Are there not many mice left?” Gregor felt his heart skip a beat. Never in a million years could he find the words to explain to his faint-hearted sister what kind of atrocities the Underland-mice had had to face.

Ripred and Teslas exchanged a glance too. “Let’s... go back inside, Lizzie, okay?”, the rat stepped back into the code room, with Gregor’s sister still on his back, closely followed by Teslas and Gregor.

As soon as they sat back down in front of their empty plates, Lizzie climbed off of Ripred’s back and approached Teslas. “Why did you say that?”, she asked once more, and Gregor’s throat tightened. How would he explain...?

Teslas sighed. “You... you are right, there are not many of my species left. So I am happy for every living nibbler I see.” Gregor saw the sorrow in his eyes and thought he understood why everyone always said the survivors of any sort of catastrophe weren’t necessarily the lucky ones.

Lizzie was quiet for a moment, and Gregor prayed she wouldn’t ask what had happened to them.

“How... how many are... not many?”, she finally wanted to know, and the black mouse lowered his gaze. “As far as the humans and all of Regalia know... we are... sixteen.” Lizzie’s eyes widened and she gasped, as she took his words in. And Gregor too, couldn’t help but freeze in shock when he heard the number.

“The eight you saw just now”, Teslas started counting, his face grim from pain, “then add me and the nibbler Cartesian, whom your brother and his friends saved in the Firelands, and at last, the six pups the Regalians fished out of their river, some time ago.” He was silent for a moment, as was the entire room. “That is all.”

Gregor felt his head spin. That was all. All that was left of an entire species, a species who, granted, only had counted two colonies in total, if he recalled correctly, but they had been a species nonetheless. An innocent species. And beyond that, the very species that had saved Luxa’s life, after she had gone missing in the Labyrinth. Without them, Gregor realized, she would be dead now. And all this... this death because of... what? A... mood? A completely ridiculous, baseless grudge the Bane bore?

Lizzie interrupted his dire thoughts by asking the one question he had hoped she wouldn’t. “But... why? How can there be only sixteen left of an entire species?”

Ripred and Teslas exchanged glances. “She will not let this go, we might as well tell her”, Ripred finally mumbled. Before Gregor could protest, he had scooped Lizzie up with his paw and sat her on his lap. “Because”, he sighed, “Because the white rat, the Bane, who we are at war with, chose to – entirely unjustified, of course – blame all his problems on them.”

Lizzie stared up at him silently for a few moments, before finally speaking – “So he... killed them?” That’s it, Gregor thought, she will certainly fall into another panic attack from this. But apparently, he had underestimated his sister.

Ripred only nodded. “Yes, Lizzie. He killed them.”

The silence, that followed his words, was deafening. Nobody dared to speak, not Teslas, not Ripred, not Gregor. He had no idea how long it lasted, before no other than Lizzie, his fragile, anxious, sister, who was almost nine, but so small and thin she looked six or seven, broke it.

Turning her head at him, she spoke – “Nerissa said you have to fight someone, according to a prophecy. Is he the one? The Bane?” All Gregor could do was nod. Lizzie was silent for a moment before she finally took a deep breath, as if to gather her strength. “Gregor... please don’t let him win.”

He stared into her way too serious and mature face, before finally understanding. “I won’t”, he replied, and in this very moment he swore to himself he would keep this promise. If he had to die to fulfill it, he would. But ridding the world of a creature like the Bane was worth that. Who knew how many more he would kill, after all, if Gregor let him live?

He had never before given much thought to how he would or wanted to die. Understandably so, Gregor was fourteen. Death wasn’t something a kid his age gave a lot of thought to, usually. Because usually, at this age, it was way too distant, way too abstract. But ever since he had read the Prophecy of Time, it had all of a sudden become way too real, way too imminent.

His trip with the others had left him little time to think, but now, the realization hit him that, if he would have to pick, this was the way he wanted to go. Protecting the people he loved.

Gregor determinately clenched his jaw. “Never in a million years, Lizzie. You can count on that. You all can.”

To everyone’s relief, Lizzie had dropped the topic, after her question had been answered. Instead, she started asking Teslas about his inventions. The black mouse willingly talked, and Gregor’s sister was visibly fascinated by the things he described.

“Why aren’t you working on anything right now?”, she finally wanted to know, and Teslas hesitated. “I... my workshop is – was – back at my colony.” He lowered his gaze. “I had to... to destroy it, so that the rats wouldn’t get a hold of any of my inventions.”

“Oh... I’m so sorry...”, Lizzie mumbled, stroking the fur on his arm. Gregor bit his lip as well. Henry had mentioned Cevian had told him something along the lines, but seeing how devastated Teslas was at the thought of his workshop, he still felt incredibly bad it had to have come this far.

“Hey”, he suddenly had an idea, “maybe you can get a new workshop, here in Regalia? I’m sure they could use your help with something.”

Ripred threw him a mildly surprised glance. “That is not a bad idea. Maybe you should go talk to Vikus about it.” Teslas looked back and forth between them, before finally nodding. “I had not the chance to talk to him yet, maybe I should indeed”, he mumbled. “Though I think, for now, I’m most useful here, in the code room. After all, who will take my place? Cartesian is in the nursery, with the pups. They are related to him, so he cares for them.”

Ripred pondered for a second but finally nodded. “It is settled, then. You stay until the code is broken. Say, Lizzie”, he suddenly addressed Gregor’s sister again, “Would you not want to go and meet the babies? Your sister will be there, most likely, and you could meet the other nibbler your brother rescued.”

Gregor instantly saw she wanted to go, but then anxiously glanced around the room. “But... what about the code? Don’t I need to work on that?”

“Nonsense”, Ripred already jumped up, picking her up and placing her on his back. “You can get back to that in a minute. Nobody said you can’t take half an hour or so off.”

“I’ll stay here”, Teslas announced from behind them. “I... I’ve seen them only yesterday.” Gregor threw him a glance and wondered if they reminded him too much of his own family.

“Wait, I’ll come”, he hurried after Ripred and Lizzie, who were already on their way out. “I needed an excuse to leave this room anyway.” Ripred didn’t object, and Lizzie was happy, so Gregor could finally leave the almost suffocating atmosphere that had built up in the code room.

The trip to the old nursery didn’t take them long, and there waited not only Cartesian, Boots, and Dulcet with the six babies, but also an eager-seeming Hazard, who instantly ran to greet the newcomers.

“Hello, Gregor! Hello, Ripred!”, he called, smiling up at them, before finally spotting Lizzie, who had instantly ducked on Ripred’s back, as soon as she had seen other humans. “Oh, hello, you!”, Hazard called up to her, standing on his tiptoes to get a better look, “You don’t have to hide! They are mice, they won’t bite you!”

Gregor had to suppress a grin at Lizzie’s almost mortified face. She could be so confident when she knew what she was talking about, but when it came to meeting new people, she could never express any of it.

“Lizzie, hey, remember Hazard? I told you about him, the boy who had an Overland-mom and an Underland-dad, who we met in the jungle, last year?”, he tried to persuade her, and managed to pique her interest indeed, as she slowly raised her head a little. “Really?”

“Yes!”, Hazard called, smiling up at her. “Are you related to Gregor? What’s your name?” In Lizzie’s place, Gregor nodded. “She’s my sister. My... other sister.” His gaze fell on Boots, who lied sleeping, curled up with the mouse babies. “Come on”, he finally addressed Lizzie, “why not introduce yourself?” In Hazard’s direction, he added – “She came to see the babies!”

The boy’s face instantly lit up. “I can introduce you to them! I’m sure they’d be happy to meet you!” The prospect of that finally gave Lizzie enough courage to climb down from Ripred’s back, and cautiously shake Hazard’s hand. “I’m... Elizabeth. Lizzie... if you want”, she mumbled so quietly Gregor almost didn’t understand it.

“Nice to meet you, Lizzie!”, Hazard smiled, “I’m Hazard. Just... Hazard”, he grinned a little, “Now come! To meet the babies!” To Lizzie’s embarrassment, he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to where Dulcet sat with Cartesian and the six little mice, watching the scene.

As the two kids ran off, Gregor finally tore his gaze away from them to look at Ripred and realized he was smiling. “Wait... Hey, you... you did this on purpose!”, Gregor threw at him, but Ripred only shrugged. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” His smile remained, though.

“Nonsense”, Gregor shook his head. “You brought her here because you knew Hazard would be here, and because you thought they would get along.” Gregor realized he sounded accusing, even though, if his suspicion was true, Ripred had done a good thing.

The rat only shrugged. “Whatever you say.” But Gregor was certain of it. The only thing he didn’t know was why Ripred denied it.

Gregor was staring at Hazard and Lizzie, in a corner of the code room. They were looking at some of the code together. He shook his head in disbelief. Sure, they were the same age, and they did remind him a little of each other, but Lizzie had never before made a friend so fast.

His gaze wandered over to the other corner, where his dad sat, with Ripred and Teslas. They were also deep in discussion, probably about some science-stuff.

After he had introduced Lizzie to the baby mice, Hazard had insisted on coming along to the code room, to help. To Gregor’s surprise, his sister had seemed really happy about it, too. Ripred had carried them both, on the way back, and not for a moment had they seized chatting.

Lizzie was only ever so deep in discussion with her school friend Jedidiah, and he had needed months to get her to open up like this, from what Gregor remembered. But here she was, his socially anxious sister Lizzie, smiling and talking to a boy she had only just met, like they had been friends their entire life.

Back in the code room, a surprise had awaited them in the form of Gregor’s dad. He had originally wanted to check on Lizzie, but instead, his kids had found him and Teslas in the middle of some kind of experiment involving rope and different stones. None of them had bothered asking what exactly they were doing, but his dad seemed to be having fun, so Gregor was happy too.

Now, Gregor’s gaze was caught by someone stepping through the curtain. It was Nerissa, and she brought with herself dinner. In a heartbeat, everyone was assembled around the trays of food. Gregor’s dad, Lizzie, Ripred, Teslas, Gregor himself, and the rest of the code team. Nerissa sat down with them too, and on Teslas’ request, described how human scouts had discovered the eight mice from earlier in a cave in the Firelands, apparently hiding from the Bane.

From what Gregor understood, they had all been from the colony at the Fount, and they had successfully run away while the rats had escorted the rest to their death. Ever since then, they had stayed there, and all of them had bad poisoning from the gasses in that part of the Firelands. “But our doctors say they will all live”, concluded Nerissa and smiled. Gregor audibly sighed and saw Lizzie was relieved too.

After they had all finished eating and Gregor’s dad had gotten caught up in some conversation with Teslas again, Gregor noticed Hazard hadn’t gone back to chatting with Lizzie. Instead, he stared at the floor.

“Hey, are you okay?”, he asked the boy, who looked up at him. “Gregor...”, he bit his lip, “You... you were traveling with Luxa, right? Do you know where she is? I haven’t... seen her yet...”

His question threw Gregor off entirely. I had wanted to go and ask as well, he thought, and a wave of guilt inundated him when he realized he had neglected to find out where his friends were, to this point.

Determinately, he stood up. “I’ll ask Solovet. She said Luxa was here, in Regalia. Maybe she’s busy, or something.” But even Gregor had trouble believing his own words. No, it couldn’t be that easy. Something was off here.

Like on cue, Ripred rose up too. “Oh, you know what, I’ll come along. Hazard, you’ll keep Lizzie company, won’t you? If we’re going to see Solovet, I can just as well ask her if she needs me to do something other than sit in here all day.”

Gregor opened his mouth, confused what Ripred was up to, but the rat shoved him out of the room faster than he could say goodbye to anyone. Irritated, Gregor wanted to protest, but Ripred kept dragging him along.

Where is he going, Gregor asked himself, growing more and more worried by the second. Surely not to Solovet... right? Just when he opened his mouth to ask, Ripred finally shoved him through a curtain into some dark room, Gregor had never been to before. A wave of fear suddenly hit him, what was the rat planning to do with him in here?

“Ripred...?” Gregor could barely see, from what little light fell in through the curtain, but he saw the silhouette of the rat before him now. “Gregor, Luxa is not in Regalia.”

It was as if Ripred had hit him over the head with a baseball bat. He blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend what he had said, “N... not in...?”

“No.” Ripred sighed, before sitting down on his hind legs. “While you were in training, I searched the entire palace for fresh traces of her scent. She is not here.” Gregor felt his heartbeat quicken. This was impossible. “But Solovet said –”

“Gregor”, Ripred interrupted him, “Solovet can not be trusted.”

Gregor stood before the rat, so still as if he had turned to stone. “W... what?” Sure. He had never liked Solovet. She had caused the plague, which had almost killed his bond and his mom. But... why would Ripred be doubting her trustworthiness?

“She... she was... pardoned”, he mumbled, “even put back in charge... what reason would she have to... to do anything that would... would threaten her credibility... again?” Before his inner eye, Gregor saw Henry’s bitter face. He had fought so hard for a second chance, for the trust of his loved ones, and here Ripred was, claiming Solovet, who had just so happened to have... her second chance thrown at her, would risk it again?

Ripred sighed. “I know what you are thinking. You are thinking of Henry. But you can not compare Henry to Solovet, not in this case. See”, he sighed, “with Henry, he feels guilt for what he’s done. But Solovet...”, the rat chuckled, “As hard as it may be for you, you have to try and think like her for a moment, to understand where I’m coming from. Granted, and I’ll say this here and now, nothing of what I say from this point on is proven, by any means. It is speculation on my part – besides the fact that she lied about Luxa. But still, I urge you to hear me out.” Gregor had barely ever heard Ripred so worried. He just nodded.

“Good. So – Henry feels regret for his actions. He knows what he did was wrong, he seeks atonement. But in Solovet’s own eyes... creating the plague was not a crime. It was her means to serve her people. Can you follow so far?”

Gregor swallowed. It was hard to imagine anyone thinking like that, but yes, he could. With someone like Solovet, he could.

“Good. So, where does that leave her? As the traitor? No.” Ripred paused. “In her eyes, Solovet is not the traitor. She is the betrayed. Arrested and thrown in prison for something she herself didn’t even perceive as a crime, by the very people she had her strongest connections with.”

Gregor slowly but surely started to get a bad feeling about all of this. “That’s not good”, he mumbled, and Ripred hummed approvingly. “Exactly. This arrest, this one and a half year in prison, the constant fear of a trial... I am almost positive it severed any emotional connection she’s ever had to Regalia and its citizens. And that, dear boy, is what makes her so very dangerous.”

Gregor desperately tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “But... she seems so... normal”, he mumbled, “And, Luxa is her granddaughter... would she really put her at risk? Her own family?”

Ripred sighed. “That is the one thing I haven’t the slightest clue about. Her goals. Or why she lied about Luxa. All I know for certain are two things, Gregor, and I want you to pay attention now. Close attention. Got it?”

Gregor nodded and Ripred continued, “First – I need you to remain unsuspicious in her eyes, at ANY COST. You hear? Solovet is many things, but she is not stupid. You need to promise me you won’t let any part of this conversation leave this room. And don’t even think about doing something as reckless as trying to spy on her or anything. I’ll have that handled. Somehow. You... you just pretend like it never happened. Got it?”

Gregor bit his lip. His heart was pounding with fear now. Could he just... do that? Go and see her again and act normal? Do... nothing? Then again, what choice did he have?

As Gregor nodded, Ripred continued. “And second – I want you to think carefully every time, from now on, about whether you can blindly trust what she says. If you’re unsure, come to me. Or actually, always come to me. She asks you to do something? Go somewhere? Double-check. This city can not afford to write off yet another crucial member as “unaccounted for”. Especially not the one who is supposed to kill the Bane.”

Gregor kept chewing on his lip as his mind reeled. “Okay”, he heard himself say. “Good. That would be all”, Ripred took his first step towards the curtain.

“Wait”, Gregor called him back, “Can I at least tell Ares?” He would not keep something like that from his bond. Ripred sighed. “If you make sure nobody hears you... and if he promises to follow the two rules... sure.”

With that he stepped through the curtain, leaving Gregor alone in the dark room, with his head still spinning from confusion and disbelief.

The darkness was engulfing him entirely. Gregor thought he was staring up, but he was not even sure if he was awake. He was lying in his bed, had he been sleeping?

After he and Ripred had returned from their little talk, earlier, the rat had announced Solovet had made a mistake, and Luxa had actually run away again. With the Death Rider and Howard. But, he had insisted on keeping that a secret, so that the Regalians would not think their queen had abandoned them.

“She’s in good company, don’t worry”, Ripred had assured them all, “The Death Rider and my friend Kismet are with her, they are two of the strongest warriors the Underland has ever seen. And Howard, he is a doctor. I’m sure you’ll all see her again soon.”

Were they really with her? Henry, and Kismet, and Howard? Gregor didn’t know. All he knew was that he wanted to see her. He would be called into battle soon. He wanted to see Luxa before... before what? He died?

And if I see her, he thought, what will I do? A million thoughts swarmed his head, if he would get to see her again, what would he do? Gregor knew he wanted to do many things, tell her many things, but what he actually WOULD do, he didn’t know. So he shut the thoughts of her out. He focused only on the silence.

Click. Practicing echolocation had become a relaxation technique, as of recently. Click. The sound illuminated the ceiling. There was a little indentation, directly above his head.

Click. Click. Gregor had stared at the ceiling for nearly five minutes, repeatedly clicking his tongue, before his mind had finally processed he could actually... SEE it.

He sat up so fast he almost knocked his blanket off the bed. It was entirely dark around him. He could not see in the dark. Or... could he? A rush of adrenaline suddenly jolted through his body and he took a deep breath. Had he been dreaming? There was only one way to find out.

Click. He saw the opposite wall now. His sword that he had leaned on the wall, his backpack next to it. Gregor felt his heartbeat triple. He clicked his tongue again, this time, tilting his head right. Click. There was the other wall. Lizzie’s belongings were scattered, and the bed they had brought in for her. Wait... the bed. Gregor furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue again.

The bed was empty.

His excitement about his apparent breakthrough was instantly replaced by fear. It swept over him like a tidal wave, and he immediately stood up, clicking his tongue some more to get his bearings. Where even could she have gone? He was about to exit the human room when he suddenly heard a voice – “Better now?” It was Ripred.

Now he sat back down on his bed and carefully slid the curtain that separated him from the main room open until he was able to see Ripred through the crack. The rat was curled up on his side on the floor. Huddled in the curve of his body was Lizzie. “Yes. I feel better next to you. You’re so warm”, she mumbled. She sounded sleepy.

“Slow, deep breaths.” Ripred had his eyes almost closed, and Gregor knew Lizzie must have been having another panic attack. But why hadn’t she come to him? Why had she gone to Ripred?

“Want to try a few more math problems?”, the rat asked, but Lizzie shook her head. “Just want to sit here.”

Gregor could do nothing but watch the almost absurd scene. His little sister, who jumped at her own shadow, snuggled up against a giant rat, and Ripred, who seemed to loathe almost everyone, who always slept alone even when other rats were available. Together, now.

“How did she die? The one who was like me?”, Lizzie suddenly asked. Gregor frowned. What was she talking about? How did who die? When had Ripred known someone like Lizzie before?

“Hm? Lumen? At the Garden of the Hesperides”, Ripred finally responded. “I know about that. Gregor told me”, Lizzie turned to stroke his fur. “The dike broke and there was a big flood. So she drowned?”

“I tried to get there.” Ripred shook his head. “Too late.” Lizzie lowered her gaze. “Her name... it means “Light”, doesn’t it?” Ripred nodded and she was silent for a while before she asked on – “And your wife? And the other pup?”

The rat suddenly seemed to stiffen up. “Lumen’s brother Nox, “Darkness”, as you might have guessed, was lost too. And...”, he almost looked like he was clenching his jaw, “And... Whitespur... she... she was never my wife, not officially.”

Lizzie looked up. “But she would have been, had you had a wife?” Ripred sighed. “It was not... She would have never been my wife. Not her.” – “But... she was the mother of your pups”, Lizzie tilted her head a little, “She must have loved you. And you her.”

Ripred exhaled audibly. “That was not the issue. She and I, it was what... doomed her, in the end. You see, she was not just anyone. Whitespur was one of Gorger’s top generals at the time. Ambitious, powerful, smart – but there was also always this... this tenderness in her, too. She was with Gorger, but she was not like him. Her tenderness... I think she secretly wished for more opportunities to express it. But those opportunities were limited, of course.” Ripred chuckled, “You two would get along, you know? In fact, were I to choose any rat for this spot in the code room, I would choose her.”

Lizzie was silent for a long time. “She couldn’t be your wife because she was Gorger’s general?” Ripred nodded. “I always thought it was funny, he had originally tasked her with eliminating me. Only that didn’t exactly go as planned, as you might have figured.”

Lizzie giggled. “You fell in love instead.” Ripred sighed. “We... did. The top general of Gorgers and the lowly, delusional, grumpy social outcast. Who’d have thought, right?”

Lizzie laughed some more, punching him lightly, mumbling he was so much more than that, before she eventually fell silent. “Is she... Whitespur, is she... dead?”

Ripred shifted to look at her. “She...”, he hesitated, before averting his gaze again. “Whitespur... yes, Lizzie. She died that very same day. I lost... them all. All gone. No chance to even... say goodbye.” There was a long pause, then the rat continued – “I went off alone for months. I wanted to die. I tried to. But it takes a lot to kill me.”

Lizzie remained silent, and Ripred finally spoke on – “That day, the day they died... I had always known I didn’t like the way things were, that’s why Gorger hated me as much as he did. But that day, I actively decided, I promised myself, it all had to change. And if nobody else would work towards it... I would.”


	25. Alienation

* * *

Henry stared at the blade in his hand, and the tooth, which had already taken on the slightly reddish shade of the liquid, that was still occasionally dripping from the ceiling.

He turned up his nose as he shook his head to get it out of his hair, but to no avail. The pungent reek of iron had engulfed them ever since Kismet had led their way into this system of tunnels, maybe half a day ago. “It will cover our smell, or do you want the rats to spot you the instant we arrive?”, she had remarked on Howard’s question as to why they had to take this particular way, and since then, nobody had complained.

Henry didn’t need to raise his gaze from his carving, to know where the others were. The steady drips of irony liquid allowed his echolocation to pick up the shapes of Howard, then Thanatos with Nike, and finally Luxa with Aurora, all lying under a small ledge. They were all there. Only for Henry, there hadn’t been enough room. The exiled prince sighed. He would need to wake them soon. It was almost time for breakfast.

“I will wait for you in two days, at the exit of the iron tunnel”, Kismet’s words echoed in his head, that she had uttered only a couple hours after they had entered the tunnel with the unusually high concentration of iron. “We need to know exactly where we are going, after all. And I just so happen to be the only one who could get away with trying to blend into the followers of the Bane, if worst comes to worst. So I will meet you up ahead. With news, hopefully.” And with that, she had disappeared into the tunnel, quiet as ever.

Henry sighed and directed his attention back to his carving. Maybe ten or so more minutes, then he’d wake them. He hadn’t carved in a while, though the muscle memory had instantly returned, as soon as he had taken up the dagger again.

He had wanted to save Ripred’s cut-off tooth for something special, but this was special, he thought, as he finally stared at the unfinished figurine in his hand now.

She hadn’t regarded him with a single look, ever since she had uttered the words he still heard in his dreams almost every night - _It would have been better for us all, had you stayed dead – Henry._ Maybe she was right, he thought. Maybe it would have been better.

Henry twirled around the unfinished figurine. The turtle. He had instantly known it would have to be a turtle, as soon as he had started giving it some thought. A turtle with a little girl on its back. A girl who smiled at him now, with her lifeless, ivory face. A girl who would, in reality, never smile at him again.

Henry finally glanced up and, with a sigh, sheathed Mys and dropped the unfinished figurine into his backpack. They should get moving soon. This was only the second time they had woken up, ever since their escape from the trap, but it had felt like an eternity.

He carefully searched through his backpack for supplies and for his pot, before finally adjusting the position of the torch he had put up, to have light for carving, so that he could cook on it.

Henry first went over to Nike and Thanatos, sending them out to catch some fish in a river they had crossed the day before. Then, he walked over to Howard, handing him the pot to fill with water in the same river. “Breakfast will be ready shortly”, he tried to give him a smile, and Howard actually smiled back. “I’ll hurry.” He threw a last glance at Luxa, before disappearing into the direction of the river, after Nike and Thanatos.

Henry followed his gaze and bit his lip, before walking over to her. Last night, Howard had woken her, while Henry had prepared the food, but he was gone now.

“We’ll need to press on shortly”, he mumbled, extending his hand to touch Aurora instead of Luxa. “You have to get up.”

The golden bat raised her gaze, still a little misted from the painkiller Howard had been feeding her. “Yes, yes”, she mumbled, nudging Luxa. Henry instantly took a couple steps back. Thankfully, Aurora was feeling better already, Howard had needed to stitch a deep gash in her chest and one of her legs was still broken, but she would recover shortly.

Henry turned around before he could catch Luxa’s gaze. If he didn’t look, he could pretend she didn’t loathe him, like he knew she did now. At least for the moment.

Ten minutes later he had cooked up a stew from the fish the fliers had brought and distributed Howard’s water. They had all remained under the ledge, to prevent getting more soaked than necessary from the steadily dripping liquid, but it didn’t help much.

But Henry minded the drips little. What he felt suffocate him was the silence that had engulfed the group, like a thick, impervious blanket someone had draped over them, not allowing a word, or even a thought, to escape.

His gaze was on Thanatos and Nike now, they had huddled together, closer than before, he thought. Luxa was sitting between Aurora and Howard, almost actively attempting to avoid Henry’s gaze.

It was back. Seething jealousy started gnawing at him, it was all back to how it had been, shortly after they had found out. The invisible wall that separated them, him and the team, how Gregor had called it. _It would have been better for us all, had you stayed dead._

“We should really move soon. I can’t stand this reek for a second longer.” It was Howard who stood up first, and everyone nodded. Henry bit his lip and sighed. “Come, everyone, get ready, won’t you?”, he called out, taking his own plate to the cooking station.

Henry was about to pick it up to take it to the river for washing when he saw, from the corner of his eye, Luxa standing up. She disregarded her own plate, that remained where she had eaten, and moved away to presumably fetch her bag.

Henry’s gaze fixated on it. He had no idea why this one inconsiderate action, of all things, suddenly had anger boil up in him. He had collected dishes and washed them off so many times in her stead already, that he wouldn’t be able to count them. Then again, maybe that was why.

“Hey!”

Luxa instantly froze in her tracks as she heard his voice. Everyone else turned their attention on him as well, most in surprise. None had expected him to address her, and yet here he was.

She turned around to him, like in slow motion, but her gaze was still not on him.

“What the hell is that supposed to be?”, Henry pointed a finger at the untouched plate. “Who’ll collect that, hm? Me?” He kneeled down to pick it up, only to take a couple steps towards her. Luxa instantly retreated, almost like she was scared, but Henry didn’t care. He instead forced the plate into her hands.

“What do you think I am? Your servant?” She was still not looking at him, but he saw her cheeks flush, in shame? “Well, for future reference, I’m not. So go do your own damn dishes, and maybe, you know, maybe ours as well. It would be about time, you know?” With that, he turned on his heel and left her behind, standing, with the plate, in the middle of the cave.

Why was he so angry? Henry finally packed away all his things and, from the corner of his eye, spotted Luxa actually carrying the pot and the dishes in the direction of the river. About... dishes? Of course not. It wasn’t that easy. But, he realized, the dishes were part of the issue.

She can hate me all she wants, he bitterly thought, but if she wants to hate me, I at least can stop sucking up to her. To any of them. He straightened out his back, glaring around the room. He had long come to the conclusion he was fine without them, so why was he still acting like this?

Henry was angry at himself, he realized. Angry at still apparently not having had the guts to cut the strings entirely that tied him to them. Pathetic, he scolded himself, gritting his teeth. Only pathetic idiots keep crawling back to people who reject them.

“Hey, you okay?” Henry jerked around when Howard had a hand on his shoulder. “We’re all good to go.” He stared into the visibly strained face of Luxa’s cousin almost angrily but finally sighed. “Let’s go.”

Henry mounted Nike before Howard and watched Thanatos help Aurora and Luxa on his back. She had insisted on flying with her bond, and Henry’s flier had remarked he could easily carry them both.

Nike finally lifted off and led the way through the winding tunnel. For several hours Howard, her, and Henry remained silent. He could feel the burning gaze of Luxa’s cousin in his back, but he apparently dared not ask for his little outbreak.

Instead, Nike broke the silence first. “Henry, hear me, none of us approve of the way she is treating you.” The exiled prince jerked up, from his slumped-over position. Nike hummed. “Thanatos says you suffered much, he says I’m not supposed to tell you he said it, but I think you need to hear. He says Luxa is in the wrong, and even though none of us openly express it, we all agree with him.”

“If Thanatos told you to not tell me, you shouldn’t tell me”, Henry only hissed in response. In the same breath, he asked himself why he said that. He always wanted to hear everything, especially things he wasn’t supposed to hear... didn’t he?

Nike sounded a surprised – “Huh? I... I thought it was time one of us finally told you...”, she mumbled, and now Howard nudged him in the back too. “She’s right, you know?” Luxa’s cousin sighed. “I tried talking to her, but she’s... she’s hard to talk to, at the moment. Though, you know how she can be. Stubborn, that is. She’ll find the truth eventually.”

Henry clenched his fist. “But what if I don’t want to wait for “eventually”?”, he finally mumbled, and felt Nike beneath him stiffen. “What... what do you mean?”

Henry closed his eye. “I mean, that I’m sick.” He started kneading the rim of one of his belts in agitation, “Sick of sucking up to her. To anyone. Of... of...”, he hesitated, “Of feeling guilty.”

Nike and Howard remained silent, though he sensed their unease. “I’ve felt guilty for the last two years, I’ve risked my life and I’ve lost so much, including my eye, for the sole reason to atone. And where has it gotten me?” Henry didn’t know whether it was a good idea to throw all of these thoughts out there now, but he was too worked up to stop.

“It has gotten me nowhere”, he concluded, “all I’m left with is more people expecting me to feel even more guilt. I’m sick. Sick of atonement. Sick of letting this one mistake weigh me down. If feeling guilty for the rest of my life is the prize for her, for all of your, contentment, I’m not going to pay it!”

Not Nike, not Howard responded immediately. Henry already thought they wouldn’t at all when the striped bat finally raised her almost strained-sounding voice – “Does that mean you... you and Thanatos... will never strive to return to Regalia?” Henry looked ahead, more determined than ever in his decision. “No.”

Henry stared out into the darkness. His clothes and hair still stank of iron, of course, as did everyone else’s, even though the irony tunnel lied behind them now. Well, at least the rats wouldn’t smell them.

They had put up camp almost immediately when they left the irony tunnel behind, after maybe six or seven hours of travel, to wait for Kismet. Henry had not even bothered to make any of them dinner, he wasn’t hungry. Should they do it themselves, he thought. All he had announced was, that he was taking first watch, and sat atop the little cliff, maybe ten feet high, that led out of the tunnel they had come from, down into a huge cave. He had napped on the flight. He wasn’t tired either.

Henry closed his eye and listened. The cave stretched before him, from somewhere behind him he heard the breaths of his sleeping party, they illuminated his surroundings perfectly well.

He took a deep breath, despite the irony smell. It was like the announcement from earlier had lifted a huge weight off his back, like all the uncertainty and the swarming doubts had become meaningless. There it had been, the cut, he thought, and smiled.

But before Henry could dwell on the thought more, his head jerked up when he suddenly perceived a rat making its way towards them. His hand was on the hilt of his sword instantly, but before he could call his party to arms, he realized it was not necessary.

“I see you still live, despite the pungent smell”, Kismet’s familiar voice snarled and Henry grinned at her, disregarding the darkness. “You too. You’re even on time. Despite the, you know, army you presumably faced.”

Henry thought her expression darkened. He wasn’t the best at making out faces with echolocation yet, but he was getting better. Like to confirm his observation, she sighed. “I live. But others don’t. Gather your party, Henry, and let us talk. Because news I promised, and news I bring. Not many good ones, I’m afraid, though.”

“The Bane is planning on paying the city a visit, then.” It was not a question, it was a statement, and Howard’s voice was bitter. Kismet nodded. “Though, I doubt it is his plan. Any of it.” She scoffed, almost dismissively, “I have observed him once, and I already see his head is as empty as it is big. He is but the puppet of those with keener minds. Namely, the oh-so-charming Twirltongue.”

Henry clenched his fist. “Thought so.” Of course, he had not engaged her yet, but in his mind, the images of Twirltongue and Tonguetwist had merged into one, so he thought he didn’t have to. “We kill her then. Let’s see what the great Bane thinks of that.”

“Not so fast”, Kismet interrupted Henry, who was already in the process of rising to his feet. “We can not just storm into their camp, can we now? We need a plan.”

“And what is your plan?” Henry felt restless. He thought he had had too much time to himself, over the course of the trip. He felt his spine tingle with the craving for action. From the corner of his eye, Henry saw Thanatos throw him a concerned look, but his eye was fixated on Kismet.

“Now is not the right time to barge in”, her voice sounded almost resigned. “We will kill them all, but that is not our priority. We have a mission, Henry, and we will carry it out.” Kismet’s gaze darted over to Luxa. “The queen needs to return to her city. Everything else is secondary, at the moment.”

Henry exhaled frustratedly, plopping back down. He could not explain it, but there was still this inessive nagging at the back of his head, all of this passive waiting around brought with itself.

Kismet threw him a knowing glance. “I know you want to fight. Believe me, we all do. But now is not the time.” Henry had not the strength to argue, so she turned to face the others again. “I’m afraid that was the better of the two bad news I had, though.”

Nobody needed to ask, she continued on her own – “I will say this here and now, do not ask who it is, because Twirltongue did not mention it so I haven’t the slightest proof, but I overheard her talk of consulting with an... informant, how she called it, from inside the city walls.”

Her claim was followed by shocked silence. Henry more felt than saw Luxa’s gaze on him and death glared her until she averted her eyes. “But who would...?”, Howard was the first to speak. Kismet silenced him instantly – “I just told you – I have no name. Only suspicions. And those you will not want to hear.”

Henry just stared at her in utter disbelief. They had had this before. A traitor in their midst. No, not only once, twice. With every new prominent rat leader, there had risen another traitor. Dalia had supported Longclaw. Henry himself had worked with Gorger. And now, with the Bane? He wanted to ask for her suspicions, but at the same time, another part of him refused. Refused to even admit it was all happening again.

“Henry!” Kismet’s voice snapped him out of his daze. He stared into her pale eye and realized he had not paid attention. “Henry”, she called once more, “It was you who wanted action, was it not? Well, there is one thing we all can do. Because among all the bad, I have one piece of good news.”

“You ready?” Henry threw first Thanatos, then Kismet a glance and nodded. They were cowering high up, in the entry to a tunnel, looking down on a vast cave. “The Plain of Tartarus, have you seen it before?”, she suddenly asked, quietly, and Henry shook his head. “Only heard stories.”

The exiled prince could only see thanks to his echolocation, but the sight was still impressive. Far below him, the floor was occupied by the single largest gathering of rats he had ever encountered. There must have been a couple hundred, sleeping, fidgeting, nursing their wounds.

They had left Luxa with Howard and their fliers, back in the cave they had camped in. Kismet had claimed their mission was far too risky to endanger the queen and their chances of getting spotted sunk with the number of people going. Luxa had, of course, protested, but Howard had promised to keep her safe, so Henry, Thanatos, and Kismet had departed alone. “If we do not return by tomorrow, you will press on without us”, he recalled Kismet’s final words to him. “Bring her home.”

“So what are we waiting for? Can’t you just smell where she is?”, he finally asked the rat, and she scoffed. “Patience was never one of your strong suits, I know. But tell me, how are we supposed to get to her from here? I know where she is, but the tunnel we must enter lies close to the ground.” Kismet pointed at a tunnel below, with the tip of her tail.

“Your flier would instantly get spotted, would we try to enter it now. We have to wait until they leave or their attention is diverted. Then we move. Understood?”

Henry exhaled frustratedly but realized they had no choice. Waiting. How much he hated waiting. What was there to do? Out of sheer boredom, he started rummaging around in his backpack, and suddenly an enticing smell caught his nose.

Henry furrowed his brows, how had those gotten in here? His hand reached for and fetched the almost empty pack of cookies he had seen Gregor give to his baby sister. He must have taken all the food items from the Overlander, at some point during their quest, he thought, that was the only explanation as to how they had ended up in here.

Henry licked his lips, he was hungry. He had not eaten dinner, and the cookies, though old, smelled delicious. “Want one?”, he held the pack up in front of the others. Thanatos shook his head, but Kismet sniffed curiously. “I was wondering for that sugary smell”, she mumbled.

Henry passed Kismet a cookie and ate the other. If he did end up dead, he was glad the last taste in his mouth came from the sugary sweetness he had been so deprived of, for such a long time.

“My goodness, these are great”, Kismet mumbled, after gobbling hers up and snatched the entire pack from him, only to discover it was empty now. Henry managed a crooked smile. “There’s a taste to die for.”

They sat in silence for maybe an hour, watching the rats go about their business. Nobody talked, least Henry. He was just glad to be away from Luxa for once.

At some point, Thanatos had moved closer to him, yet he did not address his bond. He just lied there, side by side with him, and Henry was eternally grateful for his presence, and for how he asked no questions about his earlier outbreak. He would need to talk to Thanatos, at some point, but he felt like now was not the time.

Finally, the cave seemed to liven up. It was presumably morning time now, and the rats below started chatting, as they rose and started to gather in smaller groups. Henry peeked his ears and was able to overhear some of their banter. To his disdain, it was nothing they did not know already.

Mere mindless chatter about the war, about the Bane, and gloating for how the humans would never crack their code. Then he frowned, as he heard the line “– should have really pursued those diggers. We could have used their tunnels. But noo – Twirltongue says it would take too much time to seek out and persuade them. Stupid, if you ask me!”

Henry frowned, turning to his companions, about to ask how in the world the rats had gotten the idea to involve such a distant, and most importantly, widely believed to be extinct, species like the diggers. But before he got the chance, a clear voice suddenly cut through the murmur below and Henry’s attention was instantly caught by – “Gnawers!”

The exiled prince stared unbelievingly at the giant white mass that had now emerged from one of the tunnels on ground level, flanked by two rats half his size. One of them carried a man-made lantern, and for the first time, Henry could take the scene in with his eyes.

His gaze was caught by the Bane though. He had most certainly grown, from when they had seen him, back in the Firelands, the exiled prince thought and bit his lip in nervous anticipation.

The Bane instantly had the attention of all his followers. “What do we do?”, whispered Henry, like he was in any danger of being heard by the rats below. “Wait. Wait and listen”, Kismet shushed, “We can not do anything else. Not as long as he is down there.”

The Bane had now stepped forward and leaped onto a rock, towering above the others even more than before. Henry saw his gaze was caught by the entrance he had emerged from, and from where another figure now entered, and he instantly recognized the silvery-grey fur.

“Very good”, the Bane snarled as Twirltongue pranced around and climbed the rock beside him. But she hadn’t been the one he had fixated. Behind her, Henry suddenly saw the shapes of three rats, two smaller and one bigger, but they didn’t give the impression like they were following her.

No, he suddenly realized. They were being escorted. The one ordering the escort was following behind, consistently driving them forward with his tail. His fur was silken black, and Henry saw a scar on his forehead. He blinked a couple times and realized Thanatos beside him had stiffened up. “Bonebreak”, the flier mumbled, and Henry instantly recognized the huge black rat. With something like pride, he thought the scar on his forehead must have come from his own slingshot.

“Ah, Bonebreak, you bring the prisoners. Very well, let us begin with the trial then!”, the Bane roared, and the rats around him cheered, before clearing a little space in front of the rock he sat on. The three rats, Bonebreak had escorted, were now being pushed out into the open.

Only now the exiled prince saw the rats – the prisoners – were in fairly bad condition. All were bleeding heavily, the biggest looked like its front paw was broken. One of the smaller ones was missing half its tail, the other was covered in nasty cuts. They were all motionlessly cowering on the floor, apparently powerless to resist their new king’s wrath.

Henry frowned, what was going on? Since when was the Bane making prisoners among his own species? But the white rat left him no time to think, as his speech continued – “Gnawers!”, he repeated his call, “As you all know, we are at war.”

He started pacing around, as well as he could, with his size, on the rock. “And a nasty war it is. The latest battle cost the lives of many, too many.” Henry now saw Bonebreak settle beneath the rock while Twirltongue climbed on the Bane’s back, she seemed to whisper something to him.

“Yes, we are still strong. Our code remains unbroken”, the Bane continued, “but we must not rest on our laurels. Instead, we must think of why we are so strong and do everything in our power to preserve that strength.”

He now stopped and stared down accusingly at the three rats on the clearing. “We must be, first and foremost, sure of the loyalty of our own warriors. There is no room, in our midst, for the halfhearted.”

Henry frowned. What was he talking about? “We will not tolerate TRAITORS!” The exiled prince froze in shock. He registered the cheering in the pit only on the side as he stared at the rats. Traitors? “Looks like this will be interesting. Perhaps there is more we can do than I thought”, he heard Kismet mumble next to him.

“Especially those who dare question my position. Is that not what you have been doing – you filth?”, the Bane asked the biggest rat, who had now protectively stepped before the two smaller ones. She was of a nice crème color.

“I never questioned you!”, Henry heard her voice crystal clear. “Oh? And what are those rumors Twirltongue has told me about, then? The rumors you belong to the despicable sort of rat who is friends with the scoundrel Ripred?”, the white rat fired back, and an uproar of protest echoed through the cave at the name.

Henry listened up. “Ripred? They are friends of –” It all made sense now. Why they were prisoners, why they were considered traitors. Because, in the Bane’s eyes, Ripred was one.

“I have known him a while ago”, the crème-colored rat had apparently some spirit left. “But I haven’t seen him in a long time. Do you wish to condemn me for something that happened while you yourself were still a pup?”

Her words were met with agitated calls, but the Bane silenced them. “No! No! Twirltongue says you have conspired with him recently! You and your whole family! Tell it to my face, tell me that it is a lie – you who they call Lapblood!”

Henry froze up. Lapblood...? He knew that name. His mind suddenly reeled back to the jungle, the pointless quest for the cure. Lapblood... Henry stared at the formerly beautiful, crème-colored coat of the rat and realized he recognized it.

He was barely able to quickly inform Kismet about where he knew her from before Lapblood herself replied – “Alright, I will. I will tell it to your face. Have you ever considered Twirltongue might be lying?”

Her words seemed to enrage the white rat entirely. He angrily lashed out at her with his tail, but caught one of the smaller ones instead, who had pushed her aside. “Leave mother alone – she did nothing wrong!” Mother. They were her pups.

The Bane bared his teeth, but Lapblood cried out before he could – “Leave them! Condemn me if you want, but leave my pups alone! They have never even met Ripred! They have never expressed any sort of disloyalty!”

The Bane retreated a little, and Henry released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “So, you two are loyal to me then?”, he addressed the two smaller rats, who now flanked their mother. “We are!”, one cried out, “We never betrayed you!”

Henry noticed Twirltongue whispering something to the Bane again. “Then surely”, he spoke on, “you will not mind proving your loyalty? You will be accepted as full-fledged members into the rows of my army”, he paused, “if you kill... the traitor.” His tail pointed at Lapblood.

The young rats cried in shock. Henry heard both Kismet and Thanatos beside him gasp. “For how long should we remain passive?”, his bond mumbled, and Henry nodded. But Kismet silenced them. “They will tear us to shreds if we attack now.”

“I’d rather die myself!”, the slightly bigger pup cried out now, disregarding his torn tail, and stepped before his family. The Bane exchanged a look with Twirltongue, then glanced at Bonebreak. “Very well. Kill him.”

Henry was stopped only by Kismet’s tail on his back from drawing his weapon instantly and leaping to save the young rat. “We can not help him”, she whispered, but Henry heard the strain in her voice.

What followed was hard to watch, but the exiled prince could not avert his gaze. Bonebreak hesitated not for a second, he leaped at the bigger pup, and though he tried to defend himself, he was visibly exhausted and the versed general was the much stronger warrior. He had the pup by his neck in seconds. Henry twitched at the sound of it breaking.

Lapblood’s cry was heartwrenching, and she had already prepared to defend her pup when the other was restrained by a different rat. “You can try to fight”, Bonebreak sat up, spitting out blood, “but then he dies too.” His laugh was almost maniacal and Henry already felt the satisfaction of finally putting a blade through his spiteful throat, like he should have, two years ago. Soon.

Bonebreak gazed up at the Bane. “Should I kill them too?” The exiled prince felt the knuckles on his fist grow white from how hard he clenched it and heard Thanatos’ shallow breaths beside him. His flier was shaking and pressing his face into Henry’s side so hard it almost hurt.

But the Bane shook his head. “They might be useful to us alive, later. Put them with the other prisoner”, he gestured over to the same tunnel where Kismet, Thanatos, and Henry knew their goal was held. The prisoner.

Then, he jumped off the rock, his followers immediately parting to make way for him. “The trial comes to an end”, he called, “for now we have more important things to do. Follow me.” He led the way to where he had come from, and soon the giant pit was void of rats.

A solid five minutes passed before Henry realized the only sounds he heard were the breathing of his companions and his own. His own mind was reeling, he saw impressions of what had just happened, like they had burned themselves onto his inner eye.

Lapblood’s desperate scream, her pup’s neck snapping. He couldn’t have been older than Luxa. Henry felt his head starting to spin with anger. Anger at himself. Once more he had sat idly and watched death claim innocents. Without doing anything. Without –

Henry didn’t realize he had screamed and jumped to his feet until a rat’s tail pressed him back on the floor. He fought her, but his rage blinded him. He had done nothing.

“Henry, we can not help them”, Kismet’s voice sounded dull, like all life had faded from it. She now pressed Henry’s face into her own fur – was she hugging him? “We could not have saved them.” Her words stung like acid, not least because they were true. Henry knew that perfectly well.

He buried his face deeper in Kismet’s fur while wrapping his arms around her, trying to suppress tears of frustration, when a different voice spoke – “But... we can save them now.” It was Thanatos, equally fidgety, as the exiled prince realized. Kismet only nodded. “Well, looks like we’ll have more than one prisoner to rescue.”


	26. Loyalties

Everything remained silent, as Thanatos landed in front of the gaping hole, that led to the prison, from the Plain of Tartarus. Henry felt the unease rise with every second, his hearing was focused, he felt every little sound vibrating through the fibers of his body, yet he sensed no life, not in the cave. Down the tunnel Kismet now gazed into, there was life.

Henry exchanged a glance with her. “They put up a single guard, from what I can hear”, he whispered in her direction, and she nodded. “Well perceived. Can you blame them though, if they keep the prisoners in a pit anyway? They will not suspect anyone to escape.” Henry smiled at the compliment, while quickly deciding now was a good time to use his extendable fur soles. “Let’s go then.”

They followed the path for a minute, Henry had only his dagger drawn. A single guard wouldn’t pose much of a threat, especially with Kismet at his side as well.

When they finally saw a glimpse of light in what appeared to be the cave with the prison pit, Henry was finally able to make out the guard. He cowered facing the pit, with his back on them. Henry exchanged a glance with Kismet and they took one side each.

The guard let out a surprised cry as Kismet grabbed him. Henry raised Mys, ready to thrust it into his neck, when he saw the expression on Kismet’s face shift – “S... Splintleg?!”

Henry lowered his dagger in surprise. For the first time he inspected the rat closer, and, on second glance, realized he recognized the dark grey fur and the torn ear. “Splintleg?”, he echoed, and the former arena-master turned his confused, orange gaze on him. “Death Rider!”

To Henry’s surprise, Kismet released him, only to take a couple steps back. “So, I see you two know each other, then”, she snarled, keeping him in her gaze. Splintleg instantly twirled around to face her, but Kismet left him no time to speak – “Does my memory fail me here, or did you not know something along the lines of honor once, Splintleg? And now you associate yourself with lunatics like the Bane. Oh, how low you have sunken...”

To Henry’s surprise, the slightly taller rat did not talk back. Instead, his eyes were round with shock and disbelief. “Y... you... HEY! I’m not here because I WANT to! What was I supposed to do, when the Bane took over my arena? FIGHT him?”, he scoffed, before taking a cautious step closer – “It can’t be...”, he mumbled, but Kismet left him no time to inspect her. Instead, she simply leaped past him, into the pit.

Henry shot the grey rat a final gaze, but then saw Thanatos behind him, nodding slightly. Knowing his flier would watch Splintleg, Henry finally followed Kismet into the pit. They would deal with him later.

The impact his own feet made on the stone floor of the pit caused his peeked ears to vibrate. Henry more felt than saw three rodents, all cowering near the opposite side of the wall, all in notably terrible shape. Kismet beside him signaled to approach, and Henry cautiously stepped closer, to take the sight in.

He had expected Lapblood to confront them immediately, but the first of the prisoners to step forward caused his heartbeat to double. She was actually here. Alive. She who they had come for.

“It has been quite a while, you who they call Death Rider. Or did you drop the act yet, and maybe you can, at last, tell me your real name?” Her voice was slightly distorted, most likely from her broken nose, and she was thinner than before, even thinner than Kismet. Her fur was disheveled and hadn’t been tended to in a long time, and her tail was but a stump. Henry thought he remembered Gregor telling him in the jungle a serpent had bitten it off. But she was nonetheless attempting to stand tall, though visibly struggling.

Henry smiled. “It’s good to see you. Man, it’s really good to see you. And as for the name”, his grin widened, “just call me Henry – Twitchtip. Though, Death Rider is fine as well, if I’m being honest.”

Twitchtip managed a hoarse laugh before she collapsed back. Henry thought she would fall, but a different rat now leaped at her, catching and stabilizing her. “Death Rider?”, that was Lapblood’s voice, she cowered next to Twitchtip, her remaining pup now approached from the other side. “Do you know them, mother?”

Henry thought Lapblood narrowed her eyes. “The Death Rider, he has been with us in the jungle. What are you doing here, and who is –”, she left Twitchtip to her pup and took a step towards Kismet, who had remained behind, in the shade.

“She’s... a friend”, Henry quickly added, “We are here to save you. The rats are all gone, the path is free now.” He glanced up in the direction where he sensed Thanatos, “My flier will carry you all out.”

“Out?” His news had apparently reinvigorated Twitchtip, who, with the help of Lapblood’s pup, managed to take a few steps in his direction. Only when the light from above illuminated her directly, Henry realized in what kind of condition she truly was.

The injuries from the tankard were one thing, but by far not the only. “Twitchtip...”, he mumbled, piteously staring at the stump that was now her left front paw. The fur around it was gone like it had been burned away, and now that he looked closer, he saw her body was covered in countless comparable scars. Huge chunks of fur were missing entirely, and the little she had left was thin and of a more bleached out grey than he remembered.

She noticed his stare and shrugged. “They wanted to know... to know more about the humans, and about Ripred. I could not tell them much.” Henry felt seething anger at the Bane rise in him now. Twitchtip had saved him, much like he had saved her, by not giving away he was related to Luxa, back on the waterway.

He had just opened his mouth to reassure her the pain she had gone through would not have been in vain when Lapblood beat him to it – “YOU!”, she called out, and Henry jolted around to where the cry had come from. “It is impossible...”

They were around the same size. Lapblood with her long, peachy crème fur and those expressive green eyes, and Kismet, with her bleached, grey coat, and the singular eye Henry thought had once been reddish. Now they were standing face to face, and the exiled prince realized they might have a problem.

“I would recognize that smell anywhere..”, Lapblood mumbled now, staring at Kismet, wide-eyed. “But she died! Whitespur, she died!”

As soon as she uttered the name, all heads jolted in Kismet’s direction. “Whitespur...?”, Twitchtip shook the grip of Lapblood’s pup and stumbled over to Kismet. “It is Whitespur!”, she cried now, “I have only seen you once, and I was but a pup at the time, but you are hard to forget.”

Kismet’s gaze wandered between Twitchtip and Lapblood. “Mother, is it her? Is it Whitespur, your former general? But you told me Whitespur is dead? Is she not dead?”, the voice of Lapblood’s pup disrupted the silence and the crème-colored rat sat down on her hind legs. “I believed she was”, she mumbled in disbelief. “Everyone believed she was.”

“And you all believed right.” Everyone twitched as Kismet raised her voice for the first time. “Whitespur is no longer.”

The silence that followed Kismet’s words was nigh-unbearable. Henry was so focused on what was happening before him, that he almost fell over in shock when Thanatos suddenly touched down next to him. “What the hell is taking you guys so long?” Splintleg was on his back, he didn’t look like he was overly happy to be here.

“She is Whitespur!”, Lapblood called, pointing at Kismet. “I knew it!” Splintleg took a couple steps closer, inspecting Kismet, “I could never forget you. Not after what you did for me.”

Lapblood now inspected Splintleg, Henry thought her expression was scornful. “And who are you even to talk? You betrayed her, as soon as the Bane set foot in your arena, you pledged yourself to him! You’re but a miserable traitor!”

Splintleg only scoffed, “Ah, and you remained honorable, Lapblood, as always. And look where it has gotten you – in a prison hole. Who says I WANTED to support the Bane, and not just avoid ending up like you, hm?”

Henry thought a fight would soon break out between the two rats, and from how bad her condition was, Lapblood didn’t stand a chance. But before they could leap at each other, a different voice cut through the loaded atmosphere with distinct authority – “That’s about enough!”

Both Lapblood and Splintleg, like the watching Twitchtip and Lapblood’s pup, jolted around to Kismet. The scarred rat sighed. “It is of no use to anyone if you waste your energy on pointless brawls. We need to make a decision.” Her gaze landed on Splintleg, “Where does your alliance truly lie?”

Splintleg fixated her now, “With you, Whitespur. It has always been with you. Had I known you were alive... Believe me, Sizzleblood and I had attempted to rescue you when the humans caught you, but we failed. And then they announced you had died. Had I only known...”

Henry thought his voice sounded genuine. He had never cared much for Splintleg, he in fact remembered a time when the arena-master had left him to Cleaver and his friends, to toss over the edge of a cliff. But in times like these, they couldn’t afford to be picky with allies, and he seemed to know Kismet – Whitespur – fairly well. Well enough to still feel a sense of loyalty for her, at least.

His gaze darted to Kismet for confirmation, but to his surprise, the rat had lowered her eye. “Sizzleblood”, she mumbled now, “Sizzleblood, how fare she? Are you two still acquainted?”, Kismet hesitated, “Has she also pledged herself to the Bane?”

Splintleg sighed. “How fare she? Well, ask your great Death Rider over there. If my memory doesn’t fail me, it was him who finished her off – your little sister. It was a really impressive battle too, actually.”

Henry’s head jolted up, only to meet the gaze of Kismet. “I – I’m... I’m sorry”, he stammered, his mind void of words. She was her sister, he thought. They had indeed been related.

Henry saw the former champion clearly, before his inner eye. It had been almost two years since he had seen and killed her, but he remembered her vividly. She did look a lot like her. “I had no choice! He pinned us against each other, it was kill her or die!”, he pointed his finger at Splintleg. Asshole, he thought, gritting his teeth.

Henry thought Kismet would be mad at him, but to his surprise, she gave something like a chuckle. “Killed in the arena... by a worthy opponent. At least sister died like she always said she wanted to die.” Noticing Henry’s concerned face, she added – “Do not feel ashamed, boy, you did what you had to. And it is not a bad way to go, in the arena, that is.”

Despite the calm front she put on, Henry still saw the subtle pain in her gaze now. “I know”, was all he responded.

Then, Kismet turned her attention back at Splintleg – “You would go against the Bane, then? Would we take you with us, you would fight him at our side?” The grey rat hesitated, then raised his gaze, determinately. “I’d follow you to the ends of this world, Whitespur. You know that.”

“Not just he”, Lapblood stepped forward now, she seemed equally determined. “We all.” Twitchtip behind her shifted. “I have not fought for you in the past. But if you wish to fight the Bane, I will help you as best I can. He is not the king we need or want. Not I, not any rat with a last rest of sanity.”

Henry and Thanatos, who had watched the scene quietly, exchanged glances. If only more rats had the courage to speak like this, Henry thought. Ripred and Kismet could have an army of their own.

It took less than five minutes to carry the rats to freedom. Splintleg, Kismet, Lapblood, and her pup, who had introduced himself as Sixclaw, could run, only Twitchtip had to ride Thanatos to the camp.

Their flight back remained uneventful, so much that Henry started seriously worrying where the rats had disappeared to. And the Bane. But before he could voice any of his concerns, his flier had already landed on the very same ledge he had kept watch on, last night.

“I see you have returned.” Henry stared into Howard’s somewhat suspicious, somewhat concerned face. He eyed the assembly of rats around the exiled prince until his gaze met that of Twitchtip. He instantly leaped forward, and Henry saw his face lighten up. “Luxa! Luxa, come, come greet her! Greet Twitchtip!”

It wasn’t long until Howard called all the rats together for a medical check-up. Kismet’s and Twitchtip’s reassuring they were all on the same side, did the job well enough. While he was busy bandaging and cleaning wounds, making splints, and listening to their stories, Henry took to prepare dinner.

Only Luxa remained on the side. She exchanged a few words with Twitchtip, so did Aurora, but they did not approach any of the other rats. Only when Henry called for dinner, she cautiously joined them.

“You are the queen”, Lapblood recognized her. “Ripred spoke surprisingly highly of you.” Luxa looked up at her and nodded. “It is good to see you again, Lapblood. I am glad to know we still have some rats on our side.”

“Queen Luxa, what an honor”, Splintleg snarled now, “I’ve always wanted to meet you. And – did you just say Ripred? Is that old sucker still around? Not that it would come as much of a surprise, really. After all, we were rescued by the one and only Whitespur today. And her everyone had considered dead, too.”

Both Luxa and Howard raised their gazes. “Who?”, Luxa’s cousin asked, and Henry froze in his tracks. This couldn’t be good.

Kismet sighed. “Maybe you kids should hear it, at last. It’s not like there is much use in denying it anymore.” With that, she shoved her bowl with fish stew to the side and started talking.

It was a much shorter version of her tale, similar to the one Henry himself had told Gregor earlier, but it summed everything up fairly well. Kismet talked of Whitespur, Gorger’s top general, her mission to defend the Garden of the Hesperides, and how her king had betrayed her, leaving her to the humans, after the battle was lost.

When she spoke of Gorger’s betrayal, Henry noticed even Splintleg and Lapblood looked unbelieving. Had they not known? Then again, the king had hardly been going around, bragging about it.

“And finally, it was Ripred who got me out. He offered me a place in his newly formed gang, but, after that, I desired to stay out of the hairs of others. Even Ripred’s. So I left to find a place in the Firelands, to live. I called myself... Kismet. I was at peace, until”, her gaze met Henry, “a certain exiled prince disrupted my peace, demanding I should teach him. And now, now these kids convinced me to join their fight, their war.”

Kismet sighed. “Then again, it is our war too. The humans fight the Bane because he killed the nibblers, but we gnawers must also fight him – for condemning our own species. It is a cause worth fighting for.”

The end of her tale was met with a long period of silence. Luxa and Howard stared at her, before exchanging glances. Henry wondered if they would mind, that she had been a general of Gorgers, but they said nothing.

“So, you fight for the humans. And for Ripred”, Splintleg, at last, broke the silence, addressing Kismet directly. She nodded, “That is who I fight for.” Lapblood and Splintleg exchanged glances, but it was Twitchtip, who responded – “So, will you ask us to join your cause?” Kismet’s head jolted up. “Would you... follow me if I asked?” Henry thought her gaze was almost unbelieving.

“I already announced I would follow Whitespur anywhere”, Splintleg fixated his gaze on her, “You saved my life countless times, you saved us all. Do not think any of us forgot you were the one who sent our warriors out to evacuate as many pups as we could, before the dike broke. We could not save many, but not many are better than none.”

Twitchtip’s head jolted up. “You did?” Kismet turned her way. “I did not trust the silence”, was all she responded, but Henry saw and recognized the look in Twitchtip’s eyes. It was... gratitude. He suddenly wondered if she had been there. If she had been saved.

“I will also follow you always, Whitespur”, Lapblood addressed her. “I have fought at your side in the Garden and countless times before.” She paused for a moment, “Longclaw always bragged about inheriting the crown from Gorger, but everyone knew it was you we wanted as queen. In my eyes, nothing has changed.”

Lapblood’s words did not miss their mark. All eyes were on Kismet now, even Luxa and Howard stared at her with newfound respect. But the scarred rat did not reply.

The silence rang in Henry’s ears almost painfully, and he was about to break it himself when Kismet finally stood up. “Your loyalty is admirable.” Her voice was hoarse now, “but it is mistaken.” She took a shaky breath, “because Whitespur is dead.” With that, she rose to her feet and disappeared deeper into the tunnel.

Henry could still hear them. If he focused, he could still hear their voices echo in his head, upset, confused, annoyed – or all at once. They had all remained outside the tunnel, where they had eaten, Luxa, Howard, the bats, and the rats. Howard had called to bed, only a few minutes ago. They could already be on their way back, Henry thought. If only Kismet would have made a decision.

The exiled prince gritted his teeth, determinately taking a step forward. He needed to find her. This was too important to just – “I presume you are looking for me?”, her voice greeted him from the darkness, and only now Henry’s echolocation picked up her shape, cowering in a corner.

“Yes”, he tried to smile. “Kismet, we were worried about you. We need to get going soon. You saw it yourself, the rats moved out. They probably plan to march on Regalia again, and this time, we can’t let them beat us there.”

Kismet averted her gaze. “And you are so sure it is a good idea, to go back to Regalia?” Henry furrowed his brows, “Of course – what else would we do? It was you who said we needed to bring Luxa home.” He sank against the wall next to Kismet. “Hey – what’s the matter?” Henry thought something was wrong with her, ever since she had left the group after dinner.

The rat took a while to respond, and when she did, she ignored his question. “I have been thinking, since I said that. As obvious as it seems that we have to get Luxa home, there is also the threat of the spy, and the trap she was lured into earlier, to consider. If the traitor is in Regalia, and if their goal is to kill her, they would have an easier time with Luxa in the city, then out here.”

Henry bit his lip. Kismet had a point, but still. “Yes, but... Luxa can take care of herself, and the people need to know their queen is safe. In times like these, we must consider the morale of the people alongside the practicality of our actions.” He pondered, “Maybe we can get a message to Ripred, to keep an eye on her, or something. Fact is, if the Regalians don’t get confirmation their queen is on their side, they will lose motivation and hope soon.”

Kismet growled approvingly. “You... are right.” She paused for a second, before turning her head, “But if Luxa needs to go back to Regalia so badly, then why are we still out here and not on our way?”

Henry glanced at her, from the corner of his eye, “Well, what do you think? Because of you, of course.” Kismet instantly jolted up, her eye round in surprise – “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Henry sighed, “You left before we could decide what the rats we saved today should do, if anything.” He turned her way, “Because, none of us have the authority to decide that. Only you can – Whitespur.” Kismet winced at the name. Henry had never called her Whitespur before, and even now it felt strange to him.

His words were followed by prolonged silence. She was quiet for so long, Henry thought he would have to repeat the statement, but finally, Kismet spoke – “But... I can not. I am not... Whitespur. Not anymore.”

Henry furrowed his brows, before sighing. “Look, I know what it’s like to... to... desire to reinvent yourself, to seize being the old you. I know that far too well. But... we need you, you know? You said it yourself, we fight for a worthy cause. And our cause, it needs... Whitespur.”

The two stared at each other for a while, before Kismet suddenly sprung to her feet – “Have you not listened, boy? I am NOT Whitespur!” Her voice was cracking now. “I... I... I am not like you. Yes, I desired to reinvent myself, but I...”, she averted her gaze, “I... failed. You, you are lucky, boy. You don’t realize it, but you are. Because you... succeeded.”

Henry could not tell if she chuckled or sobbed, “I know you need Whitespur. They need Whitespur”, Kismet scoffed, “everyone needs Whitespur. They loved her, they admired her, they needed her, and she... she abandoned them. She was the only one who could never love herself.”

Henry opened his mouth to say something, but Kismet left him no time – “Whitespur... I... oh, how much I wish I could be her again, for you, for this cause. But...”, she heaved, “but I can not.”

Henry shut his mouth again, that had been standing agape. “I wish... I wish you could have met her...”, she mumbled now, her voice was barely audible, her eye half-closed. “You... you remind me of her, sometimes, you know? In the way you pursue your goals, in how you know what you want, in how they all listen to you, follow you. I only wish I... I could...”, she opened her eye a little more, to look at him, “I wish I could... do what you need me to do. Be her... be Whitespur. One last time.”

Henry realized he was biting his lip and his hands were slightly trembling. We are not the same, we are two sides of the same coin, he thought. I would give anything to escape my old self, she to return to it.

He wanted to say so many things, about how that wasn’t how it worked, about how he loved Kismet for herself, how she didn’t have to be any different from how she was now, to lead, to inspire, but he dismissed them all. It wouldn’t help her if he rambled now. He needed something else.

“Why... why can you not be her anymore?”, he asked, firmly fixating his gaze on her. “What makes the difference... between Kismet and Whitespur?”

Kismet closed her eye again. “You know that, boy. Where Whitespur was ambitious, had goals and the means to achieve them, Kismet is aimless, she invented her own reason for existence, some pointless research that will never truly aid anyone. Where Whitespur was loved and respected, needed, Kismet is forgotten and alone. They do not want her”, her voice was so quiet Henry needed to focus to understand her, “Not even Ripred wanted her. He wanted Whitespur. He loved... Whitespur. Kismet...”, she took a shaky breath, “she is loved by nobody.”

Henry didn’t care anymore, about being cautious or thoughtful, he instead wrapped his arms tightly around her. “You’re wrong”, he mumbled, as Kismet gasped in surprise, “Kismet is loved. And wanted. I want her. She is needed, and she accomplished the nigh-impossible”, Henry chuckled, “She... TAUGHT me.” Even quieter he added, “She saved my life. Is that... pointless?”

Kismet remained silent, so Henry spoke on – “You and Whitespur, you can not differentiate between the two, you know? They are the same. They are... you. Kismet, Whitespur is still a part of you. All you have to do is embrace her again. These rats out there, they believe in you. And so do I, and Luxa and Howard, I am sure. You can lead them, inspire them, not as Whitespur or Kismet, but as you.”

Kismet took a shaky breath, “That is... that is what Ripred told me. That I can never seize to be Whitespur, that we are one and the same. He said I needed to use her for the sake of this war. That she can... can aid us. But I... I am not sure if I can.”

Henry shook his head, still leaning into her, “Of course, you can.” After a short silence, he added, “And I’m sure he still loves you. If he even told you he believed Whitespur was still a part of you, that you were one and the same, he has to... to love you, not her.”

Kismet didn’t reply. All she did was lie still, letting Henry embrace her, for what could have been minutes or hours. When she finally spoke, the pain and insecurity had left her voice almost entirely – “Henry?”, he looked up – “Hm?” The gaze in her misted eye was determined now. “I will do it.”

The exiled prince rose up to look at her properly, “Yes?” Kismet sighed. “I will... try.” She blinked, “You are right. You and Ripred. When you say Whitespur and Kismet can not be differentiated from each other.”

She sighed, “At times, I hated her wholeheartedly, so I desired to reinvent myself. But when I realized there was nothing else I could be, no other me I could love, I started wanting her back.” She wasn’t looking at him anymore, instead, she fixated the floor, “In that sense, I admire you, Henry of Regalia... of the Dead Land. Not many can so seamlessly better themselves, turn a traitor to a hero. You should be proud of yourself.” She hesitated for a moment, “I am, you know? Proud... of you. I always was.”

Instead of a response, Henry wrapped his arms around her again. “I know”, he mumbled, though he was overjoyed beyond belief to actually hear those words from her mouth. He had almost given up hope.

But something about her compliment felt wrong. He suddenly thought back to his own doubts, to how torn he felt about himself, still. “But it... it isn’t as great as you think”, he finally admitted, “having reinvented yourself. I... I like the new me, I am proud of him, but I feel like I can never shake the old me, like I am still caught in his clutch.” Henry swallowed, “I wish I could just... just cut him out, remove him entirely.”

Kismet sighed. “But you can not.” Henry shook his head. “No... I...”, he hesitated, “I can. And I know how now.”

When he looked at her, he realized her gaze was curious. Henry bit his lip – “It is the guilt resulting from his mistake, that weighs me down. I... I strived for atonement, these last two years, but it has gotten me nowhere. All it did was slow me down.” His gaze hardened, “It can’t go on like this. I have made a decision.” Kismet nodded, almost like she knew already.

Henry took a deep breath, “After this war is over, I will leave. Leave them all behind, everything that wants me to feel guilty, everything that ties me down.” He realized he had averted his gaze, “Even if through some miracle Luxa decides to pardon me, I will not return to Regalia. I have no place there anymore.”

Henry had no idea how much time had passed when he finally stepped out of the tunnel. “Just be careful you are not just running away from what is difficult”, Kismet’s voice rang in his ears, but he shook his head. He wasn’t running away. He was... starting fresh. Yes, that was exactly what he was doing.

His gaze fell on the four rats, who had huddled together to sleep, in a corner of the cave. Kismet and he had decided they would send Splintleg and Lapblood to gather followers, in Whitespur’s name. Splintleg surely had enough friends among the Bane’s followers he could convince, and Lapblood was acquainted with Ripred’s gang. Henry thought Sixclaw would probably want to accompany them as well, he knew he would, in his stead.

Twitchtip would have to come with them to Regalia, though. She was much too hurt to fight. Kismet herself had announced she would come too. Henry sighed and smiled. They had a plan, at last.

He carefully made his way back over to where he had left his backpack, to finally go to sleep himself – Kismet had said she’d keep watch – when he suddenly stepped on something and almost tripped.

Irritated, Henry fixated his perception on the floor and furrowed his brows in confusion when he realized it was his own waterproof container he was staring at. He bowed down to pick it up and only now noticing his backpack was lying only a couple steps ahead – its contents scattered across the floor.

Henry quickly leaped forward, yanking it up. Had someone gone through his things? As well as he could, in the dark, he checked if anything was missing. His carving utensils were still there, the waterproof container had everything it usually held as well. A shiver ran down his spine when Henry suddenly realized what was missing – his old dagger.

His gaze jolted up as if he could spot the golden blade in the dark. Why would anyone take that? He dropped his backpack on the floor and started making his way across the cave, in search of it, when he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

“I do not blame him, you know? Not really.” Henry felt his heartbeat quicken. It was Thanatos, just beyond the small rock he was facing now. Last time he had listened in on one of his conversations, it had almost driven them to kill each other, but he couldn’t just leave again, could he?

“So I will never see you again, after all this is over.” With something like surprise, Henry realized the second voice was Nike’s. His own bond sighed, “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I wish things could be better, for Henry, for you, and for me... for us. But I will go with him.”

His words were followed by silence. Henry realized he had sunken against the rock. “I know”, Nike finally responded. “I wish I could do something, anything”, Henry thought she was almost sobbing, “I... I almost... wish I would have never told you... never acted on how I felt. It would have made everything so much easier.” Her voice cracked.

Henry heard Thanatos move, “No, do not say that. Do not ever say that. Had you not... wouldn’t it have been for you, I would...”, he didn’t finish his sentence, instead, he sighed. “I am glad... glad, you know? Glad that things were the way they were, even if only for a short while.”

“Yes, you are right”, Nike finally responded, and Thanatos continued – “All I am sorry for, is that it has to end like this. But I can not... not betray my bond, I can not. Not even... for you.”

Henry only realized he was moving away from where the two bats had talked when he was already in the middle of the campsite. His head was spinning. Thanatos – Henry had made his decision to leave without consulting his bond, he had not even for a second considered he could have his own reasons to want to stay.

Henry clenched his fist, how could he have been so selfish? At the same time, he knew his decision was made. There was no place for him here. The thought of Thanatos and how, by choosing to leave, he was essentially robbing him of everything he had here, all the ties, especially the one to Nike, clawed at his heart, still.

Henry hadn’t even realized his eye had filled with tears. Why was everything so complicated, all of a sudden? He eventually realized he had made his way back to his backpack and dropped beside it, shutting his eye firmly, curling up into a ball. He needed to make a decision, but for now, he wanted to escape it. To... run away. If that’s what it was called, so be it. What was so wrong about running away?

Henry gritted his teeth and shut his eye almost painfully hard. He would confront it. But he would do so tomorrow. Now all he wanted was to drift away into the dark oblivion of sleep – and not wake up for as long as possible.


	27. Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N - I will probably delete this AN later, but YES I AM NOT DEAD!]
> 
> The reason I put this story on hiatus was because I was editing Book 1 MAJORLY (new lore, DOUBLE word count, some changes, better style, ...), and for all of you who have read it prior to something like a week ago, I URGE you to go back and read it again!! It is like a whole different book now, basically :)
> 
> Anyway, have fun with book 1 (possibly), and look forward to regular updates on this one now! I am planning around 36 chapters in total atm, and I WILL FINISH IT. Pinky promise (if you still do that haha).

“You both know what you must do, right?”

Henry watched Kismet... Whitespur from the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but smile at the newly found confidence in her voice as she addressed Splintleg and Lapblood.

“We do”, Lapblood responded and Sixclaw stepped forth. “Me too”, he announced, gazing up at Whitespur. “I will do my part also, I promise!”

For a moment Henry thought he spotted something like tenderness in Whitespur’s gaze before she nodded. “I am certain of that.”

Lapblood with Sixclaw and Splintleg threw a last gaze around the assembly of questers, nodding at Twitchtip, then at Luxa, before disappearing in opposite directions. Their departure was followed by a moment of silence that Howard finally broke – “I suppose it is time for us to leave too, then.”

Henry and Howard proceeded to mount Nike again and Aurora claimed she was fit to fly as they would need the space on Thanatos’ back for Twitchtip. Henry’s bond promised to stay at her side to be there should she tire and they were in the air only seconds later.

Whitespur confidently led the way through the unfamiliar tunnels and Henry couldn’t help but find the silence unnerving. For a second he considered whether he should ask Howard if he had seen anyone take his dagger, but decided that would hardly be the case. It had still not emerged and Henry had not bothered asking around for it as he doubted it would amount to anything. Besides, it wasn’t like he direly needed it anyway.

He clearly perceived Thanatos’ shape ahead and found his thoughts clustering around the conversation he had heard last night – what it entailed and where it left him. Henry angrily closed his fist around one of his belts, this could not be happening, not again. How had he allowed himself to be so selfish?

Then again, Henry sighed, what was the alternative? He shut his eye tightly. There was no alternative, no... place for him with them. He had wanted to be part of them so badly he had denied the truth for so long, yet he couldn’t afford to do that anymore.

He had no place with them. No place in their city, in their civilization. They had reminded him of that often enough.

His perception locked on Luxa – and what if she does pardon me, it shot through his head. Nike took a turn to follow Thanatos out of the mound of the tunnel into a cave lined with bubbling and smoking miniature volcanos and Henry caught his first actual glimpse at her.

He allowed his gaze to linger on her, to give it a conscious thought. What would happen? Would she offer him his place in their midst back, would he... accept?

Henry gritted his teeth. It was meaningless, he realized. What Luxa said or thought of him was meaningless. It was not her disdain he found unbearable – or more so, not only hers. Were he to go back, he would find himself among a civilization of people who had written him off as a traitor. No matter what he did or said or what Luxa did or said, there would always be those pointing fingers, those whispering, disapproving.

Henry narrowed his eye. No, he thought bitterly. No he would not go back. Not into a city that would not want him anyway.

Dalia has done it, a voice in his head suddenly whispered and Henry’s head jerked up. _I want you to take me back._

No, he cried internally, he could not think of Dalia now. Dalia... his own unwillingness to fulfill her wish came to mind and he shuddered. Dalia did not go back to live among the people she had betrayed, he realized, Dalia went back to... die.

“How is... Dalia, actually”, Henry muttered, only half-aware he was speaking the words aloud.

Howard behind him hummed in surprise. “Dalia? Oh, she is well enough. She can not leave the residence unaccompanied, but she hardly wishes to do so. She is fully occupied with Stellovet.”

“They actually get along now?”

Luxa’s cousin gave a short laugh. “Believe it or not, they do. I have never seen Stellovet so considerate before. It is like she has realized what she’s had all along only by almost losing it. I guess there is something to that saying after all...”

“You can say that again”, Henry mumbled, nearly breaking into sarcastic laughter at how many times he had felt the searing truth of that saying for himself. Over the course of the last two years he had lost, or nearly lost, everything he had ever taken for granted – and that had been about everything. His safety and sheltered life in Regalia, his family and friends, both his bonds, and so much else he refused to count it.

Howard remained silent, presumably realizing Henry must have experience with loss, and he found himself grateful he didn’t bring up what else Henry had in common with Dalia.

What would she have done, Henry suddenly asked himself as he stared into Nike’s striped fur. In this situation, what would Dalia have done?

As soon as the thought had manifested he reprehended himself. Why would he care what Dalia would have done? Dalia was not Henry, and it was great that way. He could only ever do what made him happy, he thought. He could not allow his own happiness to suffer at the expense of others.

Then again... the exiled prince let out an exasperated groan. Could he let others suffer for his happiness?

Henry had no idea how long they flew, all he registered was that eventually, Whitespur below them stopped and ducked, the fliers instantly lost altitude and landed beside her.

Before anyone could ask what had happened, she crept forward until she cowered in the exit of the tunnel they had been traversing. Henry registered all fliers had pointed their ears and he focused his own hearing, stepping at Whitespur’s side, only to freeze in horror.

In front of them stretched a vast cave, maybe two hundred feet in diameter, and below them, some hundred feet down, squirmed and shifted the shapes of countless rats.

“We found them, looks like it.”

Whitespur nodded and Henry faintly registered the shape of Thanatos at his other side. Before any of them could speak, a voice the exiled prince thought he would never forget anymore sounded beneath them – “WHAT?!”

Every member of their party winced, even Luxa now pushed forward, despite not being able to see in the dark. Henry inevitably drew back as her shoulder brushed his arm.

He kneeled in the exit and focused his echolocation downward, though he could understand the Bane’s screeching voice even without his enhanced hearing perfectly well.

“I am so very sorry, Your Majesty”, Henry’s eye narrowed at the submissive voice he recognized as Bonebreak’s, “but our scouts report the prisoners have escaped. They... all. Including... Splintleg.”

The Bane gave something like a livid shriek and Henry perceived his looming body over Bonebreak, who was only around half his size. “HOW DARE HE!”, he cried, beginning to chase his own tail on the spot, “How dare he, how dare he, how –”

“– Now, now, we must not lose our heads over this, Your Majesty.”

Henry had never heard that particular voice before, yet he instantly tensed up as it created a certain mental image in his head instantly. Silvery fur, he thought, and blue eyes. Blue, pleasant, and oh so deceitful eyes.

“Is it her?”, Thanatos beside him whispered and Whitespur confirmed – “Twirltongue. None of you have engaged her yet, have you?”

The party shook their heads and Whitespur shifted. “You do know her mother Tonguetwist though, right?”

Henry tilted his head and perceived Luxa and Howard exchanging glances. They had only briefly met her, in Longclaw’s arena, and the exiled prince thought it was better this way.

“I promised her”, he mumbled, and had all eyes on him in an instant, “With my dagger in her throat I promised Tonguetwist I’d greet her daughter should I see her. Preferably the same way I greeted her mother.”

“All in due time, boy”, Whitespur had a hand on his shoulder and Henry scoffed. “I know.”

“They were of no use to us anyway”, sounded Twirltongue’s voice from below again, “they were not worthy of your time. And what harm can they even do, by only themselves? Besides, even if they should somehow reach Regalia before us, what information could they possibly pass on? That we are marching on the city? The humans will discover that soon enough anyway. Our own informant is much more knowledgeable.”

There it was, Henry gritted his teeth and felt the tension of his party so intensely he found himself wondering why he could not see physical electric discharge. The confirmation. The confirmation there was indeed another traitor in their midst. And a knowledgeable one too, apparently.

To their all surprise her speech indeed soothed the Bane and he soon sat upright, still glaring down at Bonebreak. “I don’t care”, he called, pointing a claw at the general accusingly. “You will rectify your mistake. You will go and recapture them, and if you fail, you will take their place!”

Bonebreak inched back, bowing submissively. “O... of course, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint!”

“Hold on”, Twirltongue jumped from her spot on the Bane’s back and fearlessly approached the much taller Bonebreak, “Maybe that can wait until after the attack. We could use his strength in the upcoming battle.” Henry perceived her tail briefly brush Bonebreak’s shoulder.

“Ohhh!”, the Bane called, falling back to all fours, “fine, fine. Your task is suspended until after the battle. But then you will find them, and you will do so fast, for your own sake!”, he yelled, before rising up again. “We MARCH ON!”

Twirltongue niftily leaped back onto the Bane’s shoulder as he strolled forward through the rows of his army, knocking those over who didn’t move out of the way fast enough. A lot of them had been sleeping, Henry realized, this must have been their camp for the night.

“We must follow them”, Luxa’s voice had him jump. “We must wait until they are out of sight, and then follow them. Then we can intercept them at Regalia.”

They all drew back before exchanging glances. “So we shall do”, Howard finally concurred, and nobody objected.

Henry almost anxiously stared at the carving equipment in his lap. He was stalling. Again.

His gaze rose to meet the soundly sleeping party, they had pursued the rats for an entire day at this point and watched them make camp some half a mile ahead, before retreating into this more secluded side tunnel to spend the night.

Why was he stalling? Henry narrowed his eye, their surroundings barely illuminated by the river the rats had followed. Henry went over what he remembered of his map and thought it must end in the Spout eventually.

So, why was he stalling?

He felt the familiar sensation of Mys’ blade against the ivory and his knuckled whitened from how tightly he gripped it. He knew why he was stalling. He was stalling to make a decision.

The sharp blade cut into the soft material, forcing it into the shape Henry envisioned, leaving him to sit in the refuse from the carving.

Thanatos was his bond.

Henry inevitably raised his gaze to focus on him and Nike, lying so close by each other he could almost not keep them apart without seeing colors.

It were strange emotions that flooded him at their sight, strange, intangible, and almost contradictory. He recognized happiness at the thought of his flier happy, yet to his own shame, he also felt a sting of jealousy. He had no doubt the flier loved him as ever, his affection for Nike was clearly of a different kind than his affection for Henry, yet as of recently, he had spent nearly all his time only with her.

What if I need you too, he thought, what if I need to talk to you, like before? Kismet’s words from back at the pincher camp came to mind - _He has the decency to allow you time with others you care about... people you can’t always see._

Henry pressed his lips together in shame. Of course Thanatos would spend all his time with Nike now, for he would soon leave her, to never see her again. He had to restrain himself to not throw Mys at the wall in a wave of anger at himself. Never see her, or them all, again, because, because... because of Henry.

His gaze burned on the peacefully sleeping fliers and he sensed the truth long before he had the will to consciously think it. The truth, the only right path forward.

The half-finished figurine slipped from his fingers at last when it sank in, Henry barely registered tears had now risen in his eyes, though he was much too taken up by combatting the searing pain in his chest even thinking it brought with itself. It... what he had to do. It seemed so foreign, so surreal he barely forced himself to imagine it, to formulate words to say it, if he could even ever bring himself to.

But he had to. He had to, it rang in his head over and over as he blinked the tears away and stood up. He needed to move away, to somewhere he could think without the others around. He would not cry, Henry thought, most certainly not. He... had to think.

“Will you go already?”

Thanatos’ head jerked around to gaze at Nike from the corner of his eye. “I will... what?”

She gave a silent laugh, he more felt than heard it, like a timid vibration running through her body. “You know, for how smart you are, you can be quite the moron”, she nudged him. “Do you not see he needs you more than I do, right now? Your bond?”

Thanatos glanced up for the first time. He felt a surge of guilt as he realized he had not even thought of Henry, these last couple hours. Or... at all, at least not much, ever since...

He tensed up and rose a little. “You...”

“I know you wish to spend our time together before you leave, but you will be gone soon, regardless. I have to... get used to it, I guess...”

Thanatos hesitated. Never before had he felt so conflicted, it was like he had found himself in the middle of a violent tug of war. He pressed his face into Nike’s. He loved her. For how long had he denied it? Kept up his stern demeanor when faced with her endless admiration, her floods of questions, of tales, of remarks, or whatever else she was going on about? He smiled. She was always going on about something. He normally found himself drained after so much social interaction, yet strangely enough, never with her.

It was a little like back with the girl... with Arya. It was... Arya, he thought, attempting to keep the name in his grasp. She had often babbled on for hours in a similar manner, and he had been contented listening. Only his affection for Arya had been a different kind.

If only he had admitted to it sooner. Then they would have had more time, then they would...

“Thanatos!”

Her call pierced his thoughts and he rose back up reluctantly. “I do not want to choose”, he mumbled and Nike glanced up, her eyes harboring a kind of affection he had long given up on seeing in anyone’s eyes ever again.

“I know”, she hummed. “Yet it is the only right choice you can make. To stay with him, I mean. And who knows, maybe our goodbye won’t be forever, after all? Think of all the stories we will tell each other if we reunite in the future!”

Thanatos could not keep the warmth from rising in his chest, as always at her endless positivity. She always saw the bright side, he smiled. Always. There was no darkness in her, not a single drop of it, while he himself often felt like he consisted of nothing but darkness anymore. “They will be glorious”, he smiled. “The tales.”

Thanatos nearly fell as she nudged him. “Will you go at last? I will be here tomorrow, still. But I can sleep well on my own tonight.” She curled up tighter, “I might be talking utter nonsense as I never had a bond before, but you have committed yourself to him, have you not? I can not and will never attempt to stand between you.”

Thanatos felt the need to squeeze his eyes shut at the warmth oozing from her words. A part of him still found it hard to comprehend, that she would... that anyone would... feel this way about him, but all he had to do was look at her to be reminded.

And the boy... Thanatos threw a glance at the short tunnel leading to the riverbank, where he had disappeared to, the boy was his bond. The one he had committed to, as she said. Yet he had once more made this decision... alone. Had he even considered the predicament he had inevitably put Thanatos in by just declaring it like this? Had he considered how it had felt to learn of it from Nike?

“I doubt I’ll be long”, he mumbled, yet Nike had already closed her eyes to sleep.

To not disturb any of the others he lifted off and flew above their heads a couple feet before dipping into the tunnel. Nike was right, he thought. He had neglected Henry, regardless of whether he would never see Nike again after all this was over. The boy was his bond, and he had promised to not doubt him, not ever again. Yet the boy had also promised to... “Henry?”

Thanatos touched down directly at the riverbank and stared at the figure of the boy, sitting across him with his back on the wall, legs pulled to his chest. All that separated them was the lazily streaming, glowing water, and as he saw him now, the flier felt all his doubt evaporate. Before he could ask for his condition, let alone move closer, the boy raised his head.

The flier instantly winced back as he saw the expression in his eye, his expression... that... expression. His mind flashed back to the only time he had ever seen it and a shiver ran down his spine. “Henry...”

The boy averted his gaze instantly, unlike back in the tankard when he had steadily held his gaze before... before asking him to leave him to death. Now he only tightened the grip on his own legs. “What are you doing here...” His voice was so quiet Thanatos barely understood him.

But before the flier could speak, Henry continued – “You should be in there, with her –”, he flailed his arm towards the main cave, towards Nike, “You should –”, he was interrupted by something that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

“Henry, you...”

“I heard you, okay?” Now he was definitely sobbing. Thanatos could only watch him shakily stand, supporting himself on the wall. “I heard you talk with her last night. I didn’t mean to, but I... I...” He let out a strained breath, “I’m... I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I am doing this to you, that I’m... I didn’t even, I...”, he raised his gaze at the flier for the first time, “I should not have... decided that without asking you.”

His words hit the flier like a bucket of cold water. Before he could dwell on the guilt that instantly overcame him for doubting Henry, the boy took a firm stance. He strived to appear confident, yet Thanatos saw his knees shaking.

“I don’t want to do this to you.”

Henry could not hold his gaze, not longer than for a couple seconds. The words burned in his mind like fire, and he desperately searched for the strength to utter them, but he found nothing.

“I –”, he placed his other hand on the wall as well, turning from Thanatos entirely. “It’s... remember what you told me, all the way back?” He was squeezing his eye shut so hard it almost hurt. “You told me, you told me I was all you had left to live for. That I had hope, while you were lost. That I had a future, and that you had none.”

Thanatos could not move, only listen with growing dread.

“You told me all that, and I told you it wasn’t true. That we... that our lives were one, that we were one.”

“And... we are”, the flier at last managed to mumble, but Henry cut him off. “No. We are not.”

Thanatos winced like in shock. He was left with no time to wonder how the boy had meant what he had said though.

“You... don’t you GET IT?!” Henry at last spun around again, glaring defiantly to suppress the tears with anger, yet couldn’t prevent the first from streaming down his cheek. “DON’T YOU GET IT?!”, he nearly screamed again, banging his fists on the stone. “It is... it has... reversed.”

Thanatos’ eyes widened, but Henry spoke on – “You! YOU! Look at you! They would... would take you back any day. You weren’t exiled, you ran away. They would celebrate you a legend, they would... would love you. She would love you.” He consciously prevented himself from biting his lip, “She loves you. Don’t you get it?”

Thanatos could only stare, still, and Henry averted his gaze to the floor finally. “It is you... who has hope. Who has a...”, he swallowed, “a life now. A future. With...”, his teeth rattled so much he found it hard to speak. “... with them. With her. And it is me who is... lost. Who can never go back, never be part of it all anymore.”

“What... are you getting at?” Thanatos’ voice was so quiet Henry barely heard him, even with his enhanced hearing.

“You... you know what...”

The flier’s head was spinning, it was all one confusing mess, screaming at Henry to not say it, yet of course, he did not hear.

“I am GETTING AT”, he finally yelled, the flier saw his cheeks glisten from tears, “at how YOU have to GO and LIVE THAT LIFE!” His body was almost violently shaking with sobs. “I... I... don’t... don’t... DON’T go and WASTE this chance on ME! Please don’t, please, just... just... JUST GO!”

The flier was not prepared for it when Henry reeled away from the wall and began flailing his arms at his face, “GO! Go and BE WITH HER! Go and LIVE your life, you won’t get another chance like this, don’t waste it because of me, don’t...”, he began sobbing so hard he could not form another coherent word, finally stumbling into the river and collapsing, the stream wetting his legs and the outskirts of his shirt. He was shaking so hard the flier thought he would not be able to hold himself up for much longer.

It was... a dream, he meekly thought, staring at the boy at his feet, the boy who had selfishly taken him for granted, the boy he had once accused of never truly caring about him in the first place. That very same boy... going back on his own request.

 _All I ask is that you never, ever leave me,_ his words rang in Thanatos’ mind. _Even if I happen to beg you to leave me... don’t._

He could not look up anymore, Henry could barely keep himself in a sitting position. He had often said things that had been so uncharacteristic for him he had felt like a passive bystander, only now, now when he had somehow uttered the most foreign-feeling request he could imagine, he remained right there, in his own skin, though every fiber of his body wished he wouldn’t have to.

If only Thanatos would at last go, he thought. If only he wouldn’t make this even harder than it already was. I don’t have the right to, he meekly thought, watching the water lazily stream around his legs, I don’t have the right to ask of him to give up this chance for me. “It’s not worth it”, he whispered. “I’m... not worth it.”

Thanatos remained silent for so long Henry was tempted to attempt to stand and actually begin hitting him again, when he finally spoke. His words seemed carefully chosen, and shook Henry to his core –

“You... you also once told me something. It was a very long time ago, and back then it greatly impressed me, made me jealous, even, for I thought I would never be able to say it back. It seems like... I was wrong in that regard, though.” He audibly took a deep breath, “I... I may not need your company anymore, not to survive”, he hesitated, “but I find I very much want it.”

Henry’s head shot up as his thoughts reeled back to when he – “You...”, but this time it was the flier who undauntedly spoke on. “Henry, you... you are right when you say in some regard, the roles have reversed. Though I’ve never thought of it that way. You... it was you who taught me to live again, I never really acknowledged that before, which I should have. But had it not been for you, I would not have any of what I have now.”

Only from the corner of his eye Henry registered the flier cowered down. “It is true you are not my whole world anymore, as you were for a long time, yet please do never forget you... you are a huge ass part of it, okay? A part that... that if it were missing, would make the life you tell me to embrace not worth it anyway.”

Henry could not prevent his jaw from dropping open, yet not a single sound escaped his mouth.

“It is true that I love Nike, yet I also love you – in a very different way, but still. And not for her, not for anyone, I would ever just... abandon you. We are bonds... moron. I thought you finally understood what that entailed.”

Fresh tears swelled in Henry’s eye and made their way down his cheek. “Y... you... YOU...”

“SHUSH, okay?” The flier had crossed the river in a heartbeat and as Henry stretched his hands out, locked him in a tight embrace. “Just shut the hell up. I... I can not express how much joy it brings me you... you were so considerate as to offer this, but SHUSH.”

Between sobs Henry actually managed a quiet giggle. His arms wrapped so tightly around Thanatos’ neck he loosened them in fear to suffocate the flier.

“We are...” Henry’s voice was barely inaudible as he pressed his face into Thanatos’ fur. “We are family, moron baby brother, okay?”, the flier cut him off, “and if you want me off your back, you’ll have to kill me. It’s as easy as that. We’ll find our way out here, or wherever, really. I do wish you would have consulted with me first, but there was never any doubt about who I would choose. Not after... after all we’ve been through.”

The flier shuddered at the inevitable mental image of the boy, the future of the boy, were he to leave him now. He would end up like... like me, before I met him. Thanatos instantly chased it and wrapped his wings tighter around the boy. “It’ll be like it always was. I promise. Just anyone try and stop me.”

It was as it always was. It was a bond, he thought as they lied nestled together for who knew how long, and no matter what the rest of the world did or thought, as long as they had each other – it was the last coherent thought he could form before sleep took him over – the rest of the world could do whatever, he wouldn’t give a single shit.


	28. Peacemaker

“So, what do you think? What kind of substitution could it be?”

Gregor fumbled with the handle of Sandwich’s... his sword as he sat in a corner of the code room and watched Lizzie speaking with the code team. Daedalus the bat had inched closer now, to inspect the scroll of code before the little girl.

Three days had passed since he had listened to hers and Ripred’s conversation and it had been three days of tedious waiting, waiting for something to happen. Someone to call him into battle, Gregor thought and shuddered. Now he was even anticipating it.

Three days of knowing Luxa was not in Regalia. His gaze trailed to the sword in his lap and even though he was perfectly aware she would most likely be safe, with Henry and Kismet, he still felt uneasy at the thought of her not here. Unaccounted for.

Well, at least his mom was doing better with the day. He had finally gotten Lizzie out of the code room to see her, the day after her talk with Ripred, and to his surprise found her out of bed – playing checkers with a brown tabby bat with a splinted wing. The bat had introduced herself as Demeter, and explained she had been injured in battle and placed in the room of Gregor’s mother.

“They say I could use some company, now that I am not contagious anymore”, his mom had smiled, and Gregor thought she was quite happy to finally have a proper roommate. And most importantly, ever since his declaration after returning from his trip, she had not spoken of going home. Only thrown him more of those unreadable glances, that he thought held resignation, but also an ounce of pride, and sadness.

Gregor’s dad had been there too, though he and Boots had moved to the code room with Gregor and Lizzie that day, as the hospital was getting more and more crowded, the longer the war went on. And even though he had taken to visit the hospital frequently, Gregor also noticed he much enjoyed sitting in a corner with Teslas and occasionally some other code team members, caught up in vivid conversations.

Gregor found himself smiling as he turned his eyes upward again, watching Lizzie as she extended a hand to run her fingers over the leather of a code scroll. “I’m not sure... it seems so complicated.”

“But the thing is, we haven’t much time to crack it”, Ripred snarled from behind her. “Tick, tock, tick, tock.” He shook his head in frustration. “Oh, now I’m hungry again.” He tilted his head but spotted no food in sight.

“Didn’t you get the cookies I helped make?”, asked Lizzie, without looking up from the code.

The rat stopped in his tracks. “No, I did not get the cookies you helped make”, Ripred’s yellow eyes instantly fixated on Gregor. “Where are my cookies?”

“In my backpack in the...”, he hesitated and frowned, “wait, no, I took them on the quest and gave them to... to the Death Rider at some point, he wanted to carry all food items in one bag.” He almost grinned from spite, “He’s not given them back.”

Ripred’s eyes narrowed and he fell to all fours, “Oh, of course he’s not given them back”, he grumbled, but Lizzie raised her head. “The Death Rider?”, she asked, her eyes on Gregor, “the outcast who helped you in the jungle last year? Oh right, you said he is somewhere out with Luxa, didn’t you?”

Gregor opened his mouth, realizing he had not told her anything about his most recent trips yet, aside from what had happened to the mice.

He hadn’t told Ripred he had figured out the echolocation either, he thought he would tell him when he felt like it. The rat was not his teacher anymore, and what reason did he have to tell him? He would probably only force him into more lessons, and Gregor was entirely contented practicing on his own. _Do not let any of them push you around or kick your ass,_ Henry’s words sounded in his mind, _especially not Ripred._ Oh, don’t worry, Gregor grimly thought, I’m over that.

He readied himself to explain the Death Rider had guided them this time as well when Ripred’s ears twitched and he sat upright. Only moments later the curtain to the code room was shoved aside and two guards stormed in, scaring Lizzie so much she dropped her scroll of code and shrieked, ducking behind Daedalus’ wing.

“Overlander?”, one of them addressed him and Gregor tensed up. “Yeah?”

What was going on? Had Solovet somehow heard what Ripred had told him? Were they here to arrest him? His hand tightened around the handle of the sword, would they really arrest him here, in front of Lizzie and –

“You are being summoned to the front”, the other proclaimed, throwing a glance at Ripred. “You too, Solovet said.”

“Oh!” Gregor almost hastily scrambled up, overcome by a wave of uncalled for relief. He shouldn’t be happy about this, he thought, then again, it was miles better than being arrested. “I’m coming.”

Gregor followed the two men and Ripred silently to who knew where, not loosening the grip on his sword for a second. They were frequently passed by soldiers, most in full armor, hurrying past in all directions.

Gregor had never seen a full suit of armor in the Underland, but before he had the chance to take a closer look, the soldiers leading them stopped. “We will not send you into battle without armor, of course”, one announced, pointing in the direction of a doorway shaped like an arch, directly ahead. Soldiers were hurrying in and out of what was apparently an armory, some of them, as Gregor only noticed now, barely older than he. A girl stormed past him, donning a clunky-looking helmet as she ran. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen.

Gregor winced as one of the soldiers patted his back. “Let’s go.” His gaze met Ripred, “You... do not need anything, I assume?”

“Just anyone try and put me in armor”, Ripred giggled, “see you on the field, boy”, he mumbled in Gregor’s direction before disappearing out of sight. Gregor nodded and somewhat timidly followed the soldiers through the arch. “We brought him, Miravet!”, one of them called as he shoved his way past more people to the back of the room, before he and his friend moved away, presumably to get some armor for themselves. Gregor barely made his way through but when he finally stumbled out into open space, he nearly ran over who he only on second glance identified as an elderly woman carrying something she dropped on impact.

“Sorry”, he muttered and quickly picked up the four heavy breastplates she had dropped, handing them back to her.

“Overlander, at last!”, she exclaimed, not even a little upset, and set the breastplates aside before eyeing him up and down. “I have been awaiting you. Then again, I have been told you had been out gathering allies with the queen.” She extended a hand and Gregor shook it, surprised at how calloused her palm seemed. “It is good to meet you at last.”

Her face was stern yet the smile she gave was warm, and he instantly found himself returning it. Only when she then turned to pick up a measuring tape he realized her silver hair was not tied, it was cut short, about the length of his own.

“Alright, let’s see...”, she whipped the measuring tape around him, “you fight how? With only the sword? In the right hand?”

Gregor hesitated, then understood she was trying to fit him for armor and nodded. “You’re... Miravet, right?”, he asked on a whim, and her smile reappeared. “I am.” Then the professional expression returned as she eyed him pensively. “What does your left hand do?”

Gregor opened his mouth to explain he sometimes held a flashlight in it, when he remembered Solovet’s dagger. “I... I actually have a dagger for it now. I left it in the code room... oh no...”

“It is good to see you value my gift so highly”, a voice behind him suddenly sounded and Gregor jerked around only to face Solovet, in full armor, holding out his backpack and the dagger. Despite her words, she was smiling, and despite her smile, Gregor gritted his teeth at the prospect of seeing her again. He inevitably asked himself if she secretly wanted his armor to be bad. For him to get killed.

“I’m sorry”, he mumbled, taking the stuff from her and dropped the backpack in a corner before fastening the dagger to his belt. “I’m not used to having it yet, I think...”

“You will get used to it shortly”, Solovet strolled past him to the far back of the room, “at least when it saves your life for the first time.”

Miravet eyed Gregor with what looked like great interest now. “This... a dagger, then”, she nodded and began mumbling something to herself as she lead him over to a wall covered in breastplates hanging from hooks. “For the chest”, she said, and took down a highly polished number made of silver metal and mother-of-pearl.

“No, Miravet, I want him entirely in black.” Gregor’s gaze darted back to Solovet who held out a breastplate as well now, only this one was of black metal, and some kind of shiny, ebonylike shell.

“Why is that?”, asked Miravet with a frown and Gregor found himself liking her for not immediately jumping to do whatever Solovet suggested.

“To blend with his flier and give an overall impression of darkness.” Solovet stepped closer and held the breastplate to Gregor’s chest, to see if it was the right size.

“The gnawers will not be impressed by an impression of darkness”, Miravet sounded, still stubbornly holding the breastplate she had chosen.

“No, but the humans will”, Solovet shot her a stern gaze. “It implies deadliness and strength and will give them confidence to follow him.”

“As you wish”, Miravet at last gave in. She returned her breastplate to the wall and took the one Solovet had chosen.

It took Gregor some five minutes to change into a black shirt and pants, and have Miravet help him strap on various pieces of armor, all made from the same material as the breastplate.

As he was being fitted for a helmet, Gregor caught sight of himself in a mirror, dressed from head to toe in black. Great, I couldn’t look more like the bad guy if I tried, he thought. Then again... there was also something powerful about the blackness, and part of Gregor couldn’t help thinking he looked... pretty cool.

But Miravet shook her head as she examined him. “You only emphasize his youth by dressing him so. He has not the hardness of countenance to wear this.”

Gregor frowned, his freshly risen confidence evaporated instantly, even though he was not sure what she meant. Hadn’t countenance something to do with your face?

“He will”, Solovet eyed him like an artist would her completed masterpiece. “If this will be all – then come, Gregor. We have a war to fight.”

He sighed, took the helmet Miravet held out, and made his way through the now much less crowded armory and out the arched entrance, after Solovet. _Solovet can not be trusted,_ Ripred’s words rang in his head, and he began fervently contemplating how to not end up alone with her for longer than necessary, when she turned back to him. “Do not look so dire. My sister is an expert in armor but not in character.”

Gregor’s eyes widened in surprise. Her sister? Then again... Solovet. Miravet. The names sounded kind of the same, and it explained why Miravet was not afraid to stand up to her.

“I see”, he only mumbled, as she led him through the palace. He didn’t want to talk to her, but couldn’t get around telling her about Lizzie when she asked, and about how Ripred thought she was the princess.

After what felt like way too long they finally arrived in the High Hall, where Ajax and Ares waited. “We are awaited at the city wall”, Solovet announced as she mounted Ajax and Gregor approached Ares. He found the armor at least not hindering as he mounted up and the black bat lifted off, after Ajax.

Gregor almost nervously tugged at his sword as he watched the city fly by beneath them. He’d be fighting soon, officially this time. For the first time. His gaze fell on the outskirts of the wall that was already visible from the evenly spaced braziers mounted on it.

“Do... do you think Luxa is okay, wherever she is?”, he asked Ares, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. “Do you think... she’ll come home soon?”

“I doubt she is in great peril, with what company she has”, Ares assured, though soon continued even quieter, “You worry for her more than for Howard, for Henry, for them all.”

Gregor swallowed again. He knew Ares was right, what he didn’t know was why that was the case. Or... did he really?

He stopped himself from biting his lip as he envisioned her face, smiling at him. When had she even last smiled at him? Almost instinctively Gregor tugged at his backpack and opened the back pocket, taking out the... she was smiling. Gregor found a smile spread on his own face as he stared at the photo, the one Henry had taken, back when they had camped with the scorpions.

“I do”, he finally responded, folding the photo until he could fit it beneath his breastplate. Who knew, maybe it would bring him luck?

As he turned his attention forward again, he saw the battle was already in progress. It was similar to the one his party had joined on their arrival back, how the rats seemed to be positioned in some sort of formation on the field below. But in that earlier encounter, they had never come within twenty yards of the command center. Now they were fighting right up to the base of the city wall.

Ares landed beside Ajax, on the little area the soldiers had cleared for Solovet, and Gregor inspected the wall closer. It was about thirty feet tall, too high for a rat to leap onto. But – Gregor’s chest tightened as he peeked down – some were attempting to climb it.

The surface was covered in big slabs of polished stone, but between the slabs

was a network of thin seams. Using these, the more agile rats were able to get a foothold.

But before he could ask anyone what they planned to do about that, he heard a scoffing laugh behind him. “Oh, no. Who are you supposed to be?!”

Gregor twirled around and was greeted with the sight of a giggling Ripred, pointing a claw at him.

“I ordered his armor myself”, said Solovet with a somewhat sour face. “Do you not approve of it?”

“You can not be serious! He looks like he fell off of a chessboard!”

Gregor pressed his lips together tightly and for the first time, found he appreciated Solovet’s opinion. It hadn’t looked bad, not even remotely, but leave it to Ripred to ruin everything.

But before the rat could poke more fun his attention was caught by one particular rat who now made it about half-way up the wall, then a human on a bat swept up and ran it through with a sword. The rat fell, but it didn’t satisfy Ripred. “Hmm... all strange attires aside, we must focus on the more pressing issue. Now that she has discovered that route, they will all know it can be used.”

Gregor made sure to stay away from him as he scrambled up to the side of the wall and glanced down. As if to prove Ripred’s point, a second rat scurried directly up the wall using the same path as the first. It got a few feet higher before a soldier took it out.

“It is time, then”, Solovet sounded beside him before she turned and gave a signal.

“Time for what?”, Gregor asked – “Time to pour”, Ares beside him mumbled grimly.

For a moment Gregor was confused, but then he remembered the prophecy. The prophecy that everyone had taken for a children’s song, that had predicted the horrific fate of the mice. He couldn’t remember the exact wording, but there had been something there that had spoken of pouring.

Gregor turned to see what exactly they planned to do and instantly spotted them – the cauldrons must have been ready to go at a moment’s notice, crafted from thick, black iron with arched metal handles like baskets. Bats now flew them up onto the wall, only for teams of humans, wearing protective gloves and goggles, to tip them forward, releasing gallons of boiling oil onto the rats below.

Gregor winced and instinctively shut his eyes at the horrible shrieks, permeating the air as the oil hit, before opening them again, if only a little. The entire enemy line had fallen back, leaving a half-dozen scalded rats writhing at the base of the wall.

“Shall we torch them?”, a soldier asked Solovet.

“Just two, I think”, she replied. “I do not want the smoke to interfere with our sight lines.”

Burning torches were immediately dropped on the two least fortunate rats, and Gregor squinted again as they turned to fireballs, running in frantic circles and finally rolling to put the flames out, but of course it was useless. Their coats were already soaked in oil.

The smell of burnt fur, then burnt flesh, Gregor could not shut out, even if he were to close his eyes again.

It was one of the worst things he had witnessed in the Underland. Not as bad as the mice being suffocated in the pit, or maybe that moment when mites had eaten Howard’s bat, Pandora, down to a skeleton in seconds. But this was right up there, and he felt the urge to gag. From the smell, the atrocity he had witnessed – or both, he didn’t know.

Combatting the sensation he looked around at the others, to see Ripred’s face expressionless. “That should discourage them for a while”, was all he said. Solovet made a sound of agreement but her attention was back on the battle.

Gregor took a deep breath and registered there was no sense of either triumph or revulsion along the wall in general. The Regalians must have seen stuff like this a hundred times. They probably viewed the act as unpleasant but necessary, they all, even Solovet didn’t look particularly happy.

At least the rats had fallen back from the wall. It had had the desired effect. Gregor clenched his hands on the hilts of his weapons to steady their shaking. Maybe he was just green. Maybe after a while this was everyday stuff. Maybe that old saying was true – maybe all was indeed fair in love and war.

Gregor had just begun to ask himself if there didn’t have to be a line that could never be crossed after all, when a nigh deafening screech permeated his ears from below.

“Ah, so there’s my little charge at last”, Ripred mumbled, the rest of the assembled soldiers voiced audible gasps as the ginormous mountain of white fur came into view. He reared back on his haunches and gave an earsplitting roar – the Bane.

Gregor squinted and instinctively swallowed at the sight. He had last seen him up close a few months ago, and he had definitely not been the maybe eleven or twelve feet tall he was now, almost double the size of the largest of rats Gregor had ever seen. His iridescent white coat gleamed in the torchlight, throwing off bits of pink and blue.

Yet to his surprise, Gregor saw the other rats formed a wide circle around him, like they were scared of their own leader. The one closest to him was a rat with deep black fur, in exact contrast to the Bane himself. He kept careful watch and seemed to lash out at everyone who stumbled away too frantically.

“He is even larger than I was led to believe”, Solovet took a step back and stood tall, tugging at her armor before her gaze met Ripred.

“I hear he’s been gorging himself on dead nibblers in the Firelands. Feed him and he will grow”, Ripred shrugged, seemingly careless, but he also left the Bane not out of sight.

“Can he fight?”

“They say he can. But we haven’t seen much of him. The rats have been keeping

him somewhat under wraps. He’s not even shown up to the last attack.”

“He can’t beat you.” Ripred turned when Gregor spoke, he had seen the Bane attack Ripred and come out on the bad end of it before. And honestly, if there was any constant he would like to believe in it was the one of Ripred being unbeatable. Even though Henry had come dangerously close, back in the Firelands.

“Well, the question isn’t if he can beat me”, Ripred twitched in almost something like unease before fixating Gregor again, “it is if he can beat you.”

All eyes were on Gregor instantly as they realized what Ripred meant. Gregor himself stiffened as it dawned on him. He instinctively placed a hand on top of his breastplate, where he had put the photo of Luxa, then exchanged a glance with Ares who had remained silent, staring down at the giant white rat. “Is it time to find out?”

But before Ripred could answer, a different voice sounded up from below, calm yet clear and striking, even among the cries of the Bane and the murmur of the rats –

“How curious, I’ve always envisioned the Bane more, well, how do I put this nicely – less like a whiny crybaby, but I guess legends do exaggerate. Somewhat of a shame, if you ask me.”

In the silence that instantly engulfed the battlefield Gregor thought he could have heard a pin drop. Though it only lasted for a couple heartbeats. He stumbled back as Solovet whizzed past him to the wall, that crowded with soldiers eager to discover who had spoken.

Gregor thought he had no chance at squeezing his way past them when a paw grabbed him and lifted him up, to sit him directly on the wall. “Whatever she thinks she is doing”, Ripred mumbled at his right ear, and only as Gregor scanned the cave he saw her – some ten feet up in a tunnel he only saw her as a shape, but the light grey fur and the posture that still reminded him way too much of Ripred was unmistakable.

“Kismet”, Ares who had managed to squeeze his way over to them mumbled, and Ripred’s eyes narrowed further.

Before Gregor could ask any questions, a roar emitted from below – “WHAT did you just say?!” The giant mass of the Bane twirled around so fast he mowed down two of his rats who didn’t move out of the way fast enough.

The silhouette in the tunnel remained still. “You understood me perfectly well. And understand me now when I say I do not care for the color of your fur, or some dusty old prophecy. You will never be our king. Not of any rat who has retained even a last bit of dignity.”

Something that sounded like confused murmur broke out on top of the wall. “Who is that?!”, Solovet cried, leaning over the edge so far she almost fell. The rats below remained surprisingly still and began to whisper as well, only the Bane was enraged.

“You do NOT TALK LIKE THAT! You can NOT TALK LIKE THAT!”, he roared, rising to his hinds, preparing to lunge at the scarred rat, when a different voice sounded, “It... it can not be...!”

The Bane stopped in his tracks and turned to the black rat Gregor had seen at his side previously, who now slowly moved past his king and towards Kismet. “You...”, Gregor faintly heard him mumble, before Kismet finally leaped down and landed before him. He froze in his tracks. “It is her!”, he called, retreating a couple steps.

“It is who? Who is that? Will someone finally speak?!”, yelled Solovet, angrily shoving aside soldiers to get to Ripred.

“It is... it is... WHITESPUR!”, the black rat finally yelled and all rats below instantly froze, like lightning had struck in their mid. The name echoed through the rows silently at first, but soon grew in intensity until it even drowned the cries of the Bane. “Whitespur!”, they called, “Whitespur!” – some frantic, some unbelieving, overjoyed, though Gregor also saw some who stared at Kismet... Whitespur with contempt.

“It is Whitespur”, she finally concurred, face to face with the black rat, “and Whitespur thinks you must have gone mad, Bonebreak, to fight at the side of such a brainless monstrosity. I know borderline crazy was always your thing, but this has far crossed the borderline, don’t you think?”

“Wh... Whitespur?” Solovet had now reached them and had Ripred by the shoulder. “Are they saying Whitespur?!” Never before Gregor had seen a look of greater contempt in Solovet’s expression as she stared at the scene below. Though underneath that contempt, Gregor had to squint to make it out, but no, he was not mistaken – underneath the contempt he also spotted something like... fear.

“What?! WHAT?!”, yelped the Bane at last and violently shoved the black rat, Bonebreak, aside to stand before Whitespur.

“What?!”, aped Whitespur, and niftily dodged his ginormous paw he flung at her instantly. “Of course, you are far too young to have heard of me, though I am sure more than half the miserable creatures who have joined your ranks and still somehow dare call themselves gnawers can tell you endless tales of me. Ain’t it so?”, she called and earned more murmur.

Gregor squinted to make her out better, and suddenly turned his eyes on the tunnel she had come from. If she was here, did that mean they all were? Henry and Howard and... Luxa?

But before he could even bat an eye he nearly fell off the wall in shock as someone darted past him, past him and... down. Gregor desperately clung to the wall and felt Ares at his side, ready to catch him, when he finally made out the figure of Ripred. Ripred who had... Gregor blinked as he stared at the cowering rat, down below, avoiding the remnant of oil as best he could – had he just really jumped from the wall?

Solovet beside him called to order, though Gregor focused on Ripred who fearlessly moved, closing in on the Bane from the opposite side. “In all honesty, I should have told you of her, as the fact I did not makes me seem like a bad guardian. Then again, everything about you kind of does.”

The Bane instantly twirled around as he heard Ripred’s voice and gave a furious shriek. “You... YOU should be DEAD!” He worked the ground with his paws, “I sentenced YOU TO DEATH!”

“Oh you did, though it takes a lot to kill me”, Ripred strolled even closer. Not a single rat dared to attack. “Much more than that, at least.”

Had it been anyone else, they would have been dead the moment the Bane leaped and landed, with bared claws, but Ripred was much too fast. He rolled off to the side and lashed at the Bane with his tail, having the white rat shriek in pain and humiliation.

“She is oh so right!”, he called, scrambling up to stand at Whitespur’s side. “You all who follow this overgrown pup are fools. Let’s be honest here”, he turned to face Whitespur and there was something in the way he looked at her that had Gregor frown in confusion, before he remembered... remembered his conversation with Lizzie.

Whitespur. Gregor’s eyes widened as he stared down at the two rats, scarred, old, yet still proud – side by side.

For a second an image flashed in Gregor’s mind, an image of them teaming up to kill the Bane here and now, of liberating their species together, of... the true king, the true queen the rats deserved, under whose reign there would be peace, under who –

“Let’s be honest here”, Ripred repeated and laughed, “we were all saying it, behind Gorger’s back. Who truly held, deserved our loyalty.”

Whitespur remained silent but the murmur grew louder, both among the rats below and the humans above. A lot clearly recognized her, some were as confused as the Bane. Gregor exchanged a glance with Ares – and smiled.

“What are you waiting for?!”

He nearly fell off the wall again as someone had his arm from behind, and stared into Solovet’s tensed face. “Go to fight him, at last!” Gregor could only blink up at her in confusion. On the side he registered so did some of the soldiers around them. “... Now?”

“Solovet!”

Gregor turned as he heard the familiar voice and saw Mareth make his way over to them. “Solovet!”, the soldier exclaimed again as he finally stood before her, gazing down at Ripred and Whitespur who now circled the enraged Bane, not actively attacking but dodging all his spasmic attempts to fight. “Maybe he does not have to battle him at all.”

Solovet only narrowed her eyes, dragging Gregor off the wall and shoving him at Ares. “Of course he must fight. This is clearly a distraction by Ripred, you must go now Gregor, you can catch him off guard.”

Mareth continuously frowned, and even though Gregor thought he saw her point he found now was a strange moment to attack.

Ares’ fur stood on end as he approached him. “Do you not think we can get out of this without a fight?”, his bat asked but Solovet pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Like that was ever an option.”

Why is she so insistent, Gregor thought, finally mounting up and staring at Solovet, who left the Bane and the rats below not out of sight for a moment. Her face was tense and he saw she was gritting her teeth together almost... nervously.

Before Gregor could ask himself what exactly she was planning Ares lifted off and an uproar went through the assembly of soldiers, like to cheer him on. Gregor took a deep breath and swallowed, drawing his sword at last.

Ares gained altitude, then pulled in his wings and shot downward, directly at the unsuspecting Bane. Maybe Solovet was right, Gregor thought, maybe this was indeed the best moment to attack, as distracted as he was – but then Ripred spotted him and the utter frustration in his eyes at the sight of Gregor confirmed he did not agree.

He could ponder on the fact that he trusted Ripred’s judgement far more than Solovet’s only a few heartbeats before Ares came into attack distance and Gregor caught the giant white rat from behind who screamed with fury and pain as his sword landed.

Ripred and Whitespur both dove away and the Bane twirled around, snagging the edge of Ares’ wing and swinging them in toward his teeth. But before his mouth there was his nose. Gregor’s sword sliced through a nostril and the Bane jerked his head back and roared. Ares instantly ripped his wing free and the fight began in earnest.

It was hard to break down the moments, they came so thick and fast. They stayed almost entirely in the Bane’s range, with Ares twisting and diving and flipping as Gregor took on the claws and fangs. What seemed to throw the rat the most were assaults on his face, so Ares began to fly at his eyes repeatedly.

If they got in close enough, Gregor could use the dagger to attack as well as defend, and he had just ripped open a foot-long gash over the Bane’s eye when it happened. The rat dropped onto his forelegs and whipped his tail over his head, catching Gregor on the left side of his back. He screamed as the unexpected blow knocked him off of Ares and sent him headfirst toward the ground.

But before he could hit the floor a tail had wrapped around his torso, breaking his fall only to drop him instantly. “What do you think you are doing?”

No, Gregor dazedly thought, it was not Ripred. His eyes opened and he stared straight at a murky, reddish eye and a scar. Whitespur whipped her tail out from under him and pulled him to his legs before ripping him away in the last second, so that the furious claws of the Bane who now leaped at them only scraped the floor where he had just stood.

Blood was pouring down over his face, staining the pure-white fur crimson. With both his nose and eye damaged, the Bane was becoming disoriented.

“S... Solovet sent me to –”, Gregor barely formed a coherent sentence as he gripped his sword so hard his knuckles shone white and searched for Ares with his eyes.

“Of course she did.” It was Ripred who spoke now and before Gregor could act, he had wrapped his tail around his torso, lifting him in the air. “The tail”, he hissed into Gregor’s ear, “take out the tail”, before tossing him straight up.

Gregor had barely the mind to spread his legs and Ares was under him instantly, darting out of the reach of the Bane. “You alright?”

Gregor desperately tried to control the shaking of his sword arm and collect himself. “I’m fine”, he mumbled, gazing down at the two rats who had darted apart to dodge the enraged Bane. “The... tail”, he mumbled, processing Ripred’s words. The tail... of course! His eyes fixated on the fleshy whip the Bane now swung at them again, so that the bat barely dodged.

“The tail!”, Gregor called, “the tail!”

Ares understood and dove straight down over the Bane’s head. As the tail came up in defense reflexively, Gregor mustered up every ounce of strength he could and swung. His blow cut the tail cleanly in two, leaving just a two-foot stump.

A fountain of blood spurted from the wound, soaking Gregor as he collapsed on Ares’ neck. Despite the success Gregor instantly writhed in disgust, feeling the sickening liquid drench him head to toe. But he had no time to dwell on that now.

Gregor raised his gaze to make sure he had not imagined it, he caught sight of the Bane confused, circling around to find his tail and finally, when he saw the severed part lying on the ground, pawed at it for a full thirty seconds as if he could bring it back to life.

Ares circled around his head and Gregor stared down, even lowering his sword as he registered the dead silence, in something like confusion.

When the Bane had at last processed what had happened, that the tail was gone, he tilted back his head and gave a wail unlike any sound he had ever heard a rat make.

That’s when Gregor realized what he had done. He had thought Ripred had meant for him to take out the tail because it was such a powerful weapon, but of course, it was so much more than that to the Bane.

Gregor’s eyes searched Ripred who now approached his former charge, and flashed back to the time he had watched the rat nearly have a nervous breakdown under Regalia. To calm himself, the Bane had first sucked, then gnawed on his tail until it was a bloody mess. It was his comfort, his security blanket, the thing he reached for when he could not cope. And, man, was he ever not coping well without it!

A wave of admiration and disgust with Ripred’s cunning overcame Gregor at the same time as the Bane went completely insane, whirling around in a circle, snapping at anything in his path. Then he caught sight of Ares, who had turned and was heading for Regalia, but before he could reach, Ripred had dug a claw into his ear and dragged him back down. “You’re not going anywhere.” The Bane shrieked and shook Ripred, but before he could move, Whitespur had his other side.

“NoooOOOO!”, he yelled, his eyes misted with something Gregor could only describe as insanity.

Ares barely managed to land on the wall and was instantly swarmed by soldiers, dragging Gregor off his back to treat both his and the bat’s injuries, but Gregor shook the hands. He was not hurt. He wanted to watch.

It was like the Bane’s army was as much in denial about all this as he himself. They stood still, not moving an inch. Or maybe, Gregor thought as he hung over the wall, maybe they were scared of him.

Only Ripred and Whitespur were not scared. “Aww... has the pup lost his favorite toy?”, Ripred mocked, slapping a paw across the Bane’s side.

“My tail? My tail?”, the Bane whimpered again and began to move in circles, trying to locate it. “My tail!”

“Look at him!” It was the voice of Whitespur. “Is this sorry pile really the king you want?”

Suppressed murmur arose among the Bane’s army, and Gregor registered not all of it was hostile. They’ll do it, he meekly thought. Go Whitespur, go Ripred. Go convince them, you can do it.

But as distraught as the Bane was, as little in control of himself as he seemed, there was someone else to take control –

“In what way does a king need a tail?”

All heads jerked around as a small, silvery figure slipped out in between two of the Bane’s rats, until she reached the white rat and niftily leaped on his back, whispering something into his ear.

“What?!”, the Bane cried and fixated all his attention on Whitespur instantly, disregarding even Ripred.

“A king does not need a tail.” Whitespur stood proud and tall, even before the looming giant of white fur. “Yet apparently, the overgrown pup does.”

Gregor saw Twirltongue’s eyes narrow even from up where he stood. To their all surprise, she leaped to the floor and soon stood before Whitespur, the rats began circling each other cautiously.

“White... spur”, Twirltongue stretched the name into two words, and gave her signature giggle. A shiver ran down Gregor’s spine from it. “Whitespur”, she repeated, “what in the world do you think you are doing here?” She regarded Ripred with a glimpse, “with scoundrels and outcasts at your side, do you honestly believe you stand a chance? I can only presume you came to be killed. Killed as we all thought you were, long ago.”

She turned back to the Bane’s army, strolling over to Bonebreak almost casually. “Do you honestly think they will... will what? Follow you?” Her laugh sounded all the way up to Gregor. “Follow someone who abandoned them? Hidden the truth from them – the truth she was alive all this time!”

Only on the side Gregor realized the tone of the murmur in the Bane’s army had shifted. More hostile voices sounded now, some yelling out questions, some even baring their teeth, growling.

Gregor felt his heart sink. This was not good. If nothing happened, Twirltongue would turn them, of course she would. She could turn anyone. He nearly laughed.

“She lied to you!”, Twirltongue called, spreading her front paws before pointing a claw at Whitespur. “She is no leader. Not any leader you can follow – you can trust! Only a coward who comes out only when she feels like it, not when her people need her most.”

An angered uproar went through the rows of the Bane’s army and Gregor clutched his hands around the rim of the wall. “We have to do something”, he mumbled at Ares who had remained at his side, but a different voice from behind cut him off – “You can not. You did your part, and you did it well.” Gregor twirled around to Solovet, catching a glimpse at her satisfied expression. “If the gnawers desire to fight their political quarrels out now, allow them. Any death among their rows will only aid us.”

Gregor furrowed his brows, about to remark Ripred was still down there as well, when Twirltongue spoke again – “You talk of honor, Whitespur? You call those who follow our rightful king scoundrels? Yet look at yourself, at the size of your own army, or wait, you can not, as you have no army for no honorable rat would ever even consider joining with you!”

“She’s a FRAUD!”, the Bane barked out behind Twirltongue, gnashing his teeth so hard Gregor squinted from the unpleasant sound. “I will KILL HER!”

It is over, Gregor meekly thought, shutting his eyes. They won’t question Twirltongue. Who ever questions Twirltongue? The Bane will kill her, and that will be the end of that.

“No army, you say?”

Gregor’s eyes instantly jolted open as he heard the sound of a different voice cry out, a voice he hadn’t heard in –

“Who are we then?”

An uproar went through the rats below and Gregor had to blink a couple times before his brain registered who the rat was, now standing next to Whitespur and Ripred. Her fur shone in a nice light brown and Gregor thought he knew her, yet before the name came to him, the Bane yelled it out – “LAPBLOOD!”

“That is correct!” The cream-colored rat stood tall between Ripred and Whitespur. “And I am not alone.”

Beside Gregor Solovet audibly gasped and only now he saw the number of rats below had multiplied significantly. From all sides more of them were streaming in, soon a second rat Gregor had never seen before took his place with Whitespur, Ripred, and Lapblood. “Is this army enough for you?”, he cried out, baring his teeth at Twirltongue.

The silver rat actually hesitated, retreating a couple steps, before running back to the Bane, who gazed around in something like confusion. “Who are they?”, he barked, “Who are they and how –?”, only then he registered Lapblood. “YOU!”, he screamed and rose, almost knocking Twirltongue off his back. “YOU SCUM! TRAITOR SCUM!”

The silver rat held on to his ear and urgently talked to him, possibly in an attempt to soothe. The Bane’s own army was in utter dismay. Some of them even broke the formation and approached the four rats around Whitespur, exchanging words with her and the others.

“Your forces are crumbling, white pup!”, Whitespur called at last, “Or should I say Twirltongue?” She gave something like a laugh, exchanging glances with Ripred. “You are Twirltongue, are you not? We have never engaged, but I’ve heard tales of you, and your late mother!”

For the first time Twirltongue actually froze, gawking down at Whitespur. “My... my mother?”

“She was struck down by the Death Rider, have you not heard?”

Gregor’s heart skipped a beat as he registered the voice, the voice and the shape, that now emerged between Whitespur and Ripred. Audible gasps ran through the soldiers around him, growing more excited with the second as they all stared down at the shape of the girl... the girl with her torn shirt, her tousled braid and carelessly draped cape – yet she still wore it, Gregor felt a wide grin spread on his face as he saw the shimmering of gold – her crown.

“QUEEN LUXA!”, it sounded around him as everyone broke into cheers, “The queen! It is QUEEN LUXA!”

Luxa. Gregor’s hand darted to where he had stored her picture.

Like on cue, Luxa raised her sword and only now he saw there was something strapped to the handle, something that had a lever she pulled now. In a sizzling jet flame her sword lit on fire.

“ATTACK!”

* * *

Henry stared out into the darkness on the little ledge he had taken position on, focusing his hearing for any shift in sound. He closed his eye and consciously relaxed his body.

They... would be safe. With Lapblood, Splintleg and their armies, they should stand a chance. To lure the Bane away from the city walls, to split his army... into sections. If they split them up, the Regalians would have an easier time taking them out.

Henry took a deep breath. Howard and Twitchtip had needed to return to Regalia, so he had had Thanatos and Nike take them. Luxa was needed to get the army’s attention, to get them to follow. She had only stared as he had taken her sword from her to strap on his old device to distribute ignifer pellets. “It is loaded with three pellets, each will burn for around fifteen minutes. Use them wisely”, he had urged, and she had hesitated, but taken the sword from him. Not smiled, not even looked at him. Only nodded.

His plan was foolproof, he thought. The only part he hadn’t considered was what to do with himself, so now he could only wait. And he hated waiting so much.

Henry nearly fell off his ledge as he first heard the cries of rats. His hand was at Charos’ hilt in a heartbeat, yet before he could leap down, the golden fur of Aurora with Luxa on her back whizzed past him, flaming sword raised above her head. On her tail followed many rats, yet before the first could reach her, Henry had leaped and dug Charos into its neck. It shrieked in pain and went down, and the exiled prince voiced a battle cry and allowed himself to slip into fight mode.

He watched not for where he swung his blade, all that attacked Luxa or him was dead in moments. Charos tore through the enemy rows like a black lightning bolt, striking with deadly precision.

It was only when Henry caught his first glimpse at a spot of white fur when he snapped out of it. He barely ducked and rolled away as a furious white mass leaped at him and over his head. Henry barely registered it was the Bane, and as his eye followed the ginormous rat his heart stopped.

The white rat voiced a livid scream, leaping some thirty feet forward, with his claws outstretched at, at... No – Henry barely moved his body yet he knew he was much too far away to reach her in time, to reach – “LUXA!”

His eyes saw it perfectly well, that Aurora had no time to dodge, that Luxa had her back turned, she could not block him, not –

Henry winced from a different cry that permeated the air like a blade, a figure darted out of a niche and rammed her head into the Bane’s side, throwing him off course.

“KISMET!” Henry barely blocked the claws of a rat as he made his way to the Bane, whose roar shook the very air around them as he bared his teeth at Whitespur, who had her teeth deep in his front paw.

A different rat leaped to tackle him from the side, mowing him down and tearing three deep gashes into his cheek.

Henry cursed as he was nearly tackled by three rats at once and angrily shoved them aside, he had no time for this. Not now. Not when –

Luxa’s burning sword lashed at the Bane’s face, he rose and both Ripred and Whitespur had to let go. He flailed his paw almost blindly at anything, and Henry cried, not from the pain the claws a rat had dug in his arm brought, but from the sight of the paw latching onto Whitespur.

For a second he held her up like she was a weightless pup, Henry heard the blood drip from his claw like the battle around him had silenced, then he released her and she dropped, she fell, only to be swept up by Ripred.

Henry cried out as something tackled him from behind and he fell forward, twisting around in the air and slicing the neck of the rat who had attacked. Where was she, it rang in his head over and over as he attempted to shake the rats coming from all sides. Where was Whitespur... Kismet? “KISMET!” With the last of his strength he leaped on the back of a rat, disorienting it so much it mowed down a path forward for him. She had taught him that, he thought, she had taught him to...

There – Henry swiftly killed his ride as he caught a glimpse at Ripred’s tail disappearing in a niche, some ten feet above the battlefield. A narrow path led up and with the last of his strength Henry moved up, climbed until there was nowhere left to climb.

“LEAVE ME!”

Henry winced at the voice, it sounded not like it always had. Not like it was supposed to.

“Will you be reasonable?”, Ripred shot back, Henry made them out at the back end of the cave. “I will take you to Regalia. They have doctors, you hear? Doctors who can help!”

“Re... Regalia...”, she broke off and reeled to the wall, her paw rose to her own throat and she voiced a sound unlike any Henry had heard before. Like a forced gurgling, that turned to strained coughs.

“KISMET!”

She glanced up as the name slipped from Ripred’s mouth, fixated him for a moment before she cowered down and darted forward. Ripred’s cry as she struck his face with her talon vibrated the air around them. “LEAVE ME!”, she cried once more before reeling to the opposite wall, “Leave... mm...m...”

Even the sound of Charos slipping from Henry’s hand Ripred disregarded, and the exiled prince could not move a muscle as the rat cowered over Kismet. Whitespur. Was it neither? Both? He would not have been able to tell had his life depended on it.

“I... I’m s...”, she coughed and barely registered Henry at her side. “S... sorry...”

“Kis... met...” Henry saw the wet spot of her fur, glistening in blood. It dripped from Ripred’s face, mixing with her own. Then her eye as it met him. “It was... all I c... could offer...”, she uttered, fighting to keep speaking, “it w...”

“It was more than we ever asked.” Never had Henry heard Ripred’s voice as it was now. “You should have never...”

Her paw struck his mouth, if only lightly. “It is...”, her eyes darted to Henry, “a good way too...”, she interrupted herself before closing her eye, “Is it you... Nox?”

Henry only registered his cheeks were wet from tears on the side as he cowered over her. I should not be here, he thought, I should not... I should have... “It is... me, it’s always been me.”

“Take care... of him for me... will you? I will tell them you loved them, like I, who...”

“SHUT UP!” Henry winced as Ripred barked out the words. Was the rat... cradling her? He could barely see from the tears undauntedly streaming down his cheeks.

“... loved you.”

Henry had no strength to move. All he could do was sit and take it in, hear Ripred’s cries permeate his ears, for her to shut up, then for her to speak, for her to move, then nothing.

The blood that had seeped from her wound, mixing with that from Ripred’s face, had spread to where he sat and Henry raised his gaze. It was a smile, he thought, barely comprehending he could make it out with only his echolocation.

She... smiled.


	29. Family

“KISMET...!” Henry winced as the cry vibrated the walls around him before realizing it originated from his own mouth.

He was not in control of his body when his legs somehow lifted his weight from the floor and carried it over to her, before his strength left him and he collapsed, barely registering his face was pressing into bleached out, light grey fur.

She’ll... get up, he thought, clutching her fur so hard his fingers began to hurt, she’ll... get up any second now. She’s resting, she was badly hurt, she has to... has to...

“G... get up”, he mumbled without raising his gaze, and tightened the grip on her fur. “G... get UP!” Was he shaking her? Or was he trembling so hard she trembled with him? “G...”

Henry winced and let out a sharp cry as someone placed a paw on his back. “K... Kismet?” He twirled around, half expecting to see her face, the misted eye and the scar, and hear her...

“I’m... afraid not.”

Henry held Ripred’s yellow gaze for a full five seconds before registering it was him, and not – “Kis... met...”

His eye darted back over to her slumped over figure, he barely saw her in the dim light. She was not... breathing. Henry fixated all his senses on her, he focused until his ears rang and hurt and his head began to spin, yet there sounded only two heartbeats in the cave, two sets of breathing, two... two... why was it two? Henry reached to touch her, to shake her until she would wake up, wake up so that...

The few seconds that passed stretched into seeming eternity before a voice behind him at last spoke, loaded with more bitterness than Henry had ever heard. “She is... not getting up.”

It was like something in him snapped, like a lock seamlessly falling shut into place, shackling his body and mind with its much too perfectly reasonable truth.

Henry opened his mouth yet not a single sound escaped it, he barely registered his own tears hitting the ground as he remained frozen in place, bent over her, despite what his senses told him, reaching to check.

There... was something wrong, his mind managed to process. This was not supposed to have happened. Something had gone wrong, something... someone had not done their part well enough. His plan had been so fool-proof, Henry thought. His plan had been fool-proof, if everything had gone as planned, why was this... why was she...

A jolt ran through his body as his gaze met his own trembling hand. He had seen them, Ripred and Kismet battling the Bane, the Bane who... Henry instinctively squeezed his eye shut as the image flashed before him, of the Bane and his claw in her throat. He had been there, seen it. He and... Ripred. Yet they had... his gaze met the puddle of Kismet’s blood that had now spread to where he cowered, soaking the fur on his boots and the fabric of his pants.

They had... he had... done nothing.

“NO!” Ripred was far too dazed to dodge as Henry spun around, hitting him directly in the face with the back of his hand. “NO! NO! NO!” Henry rose to his feet and began lashing at the rat violently with bare fists nearly at random. “YOU!”, he cried and disregarded the growing pain in his own joints and fingers, “YOU! YOU! YOU DIDN’T –!”

It took Henry several seconds of violent struggle to register Ripred had gotten a hold of his arms and held them in place so that the exiled prince could only writhe in his grasp, but not hit him anymore.

“Y... you...”, he whimpered and at last seized fighting when the shaking of his own body overwhelmed him and he could barely keep himself standing. “You didn’t...”

I didn’t either, he thought, and the thought burned like salt in the fresh wound. I didn’t do anything either.

His face was pressing into fur again. Fur drenched in tears, in blood. Fur that was not light grey – it was dark. His arms wrapped around Ripred so tightly he was certain the rat must have difficulties breathing, yet Henry didn’t care.

He didn’t care about what still went on outside this cave, about the Bane, the battle, the possible danger of someone finding them, not even about the future he cared in that moment – about what would happen next, about how they would carry on, how this would affect their plans, the outcome of the war – all he did was weep, desperately weep into the fur of the rat he had once attempted to stab in his sleep.

It was not Ripred who had failed, who had not acted as he should have. It was Henry. It was Henry who had stood idle, gawking at the Bane, while Ripred and Kismet had fought. While Kismet had suffered the consequence.

“I... I... I should have...”, he barely managed to mumble, yet Ripred heard him regardless. In the blink of an eye a paw had closed around the fur collar of his vest and lifted him up, until his face was dangling before Ripred’s. The rat wanted to seem stern, Henry thought, yet his face was drenched in pain. “You could not... have done anything.”

Ripred’s words hit Henry like a blow to the face. He blinked once, then opened his mouth to protest, but the rat screamed before he could utter a single word – “YOU COULD NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING!”

“B... but I...” He could always do something. Henry dared peek a glance back at the lifeless shape of light grey fur behind him and clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms. “You can always do something”, he mumbled, “always... always... if you assume you can’t do something, what’s the point in anything then?” His voice trembled yet he held his gaze on Ripred.

“Not this time, lad...” The rat slowly sat him down. “Not... this time.”

“No.”

Ripred’s gaze rose to meet Henry’s as he spoke. His jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “No. I don’t believe that.”

“Henry...”  
“NO!”

Ripred winced, but Henry darted forward, latching onto his fur, shaking the rat so that he almost lost balance. “NO! NO! NO! Move your FAT ASS and DO SOMETHING! TELL ME what... what TO DO...!”

It was what she had taught him. He flashed back to her stern yet compassionate gaze after she had fished him out of that lake, to times when she had been the only thing between him and death. To what she had always preached, whenever his own apathy had overwhelmed him – _keep doing, Henry,_ her voice whispered in his ear and he squinted, _keep doing something, whatever it may be, or you might as well never do anything ever again._

Henry stiffened as Ripred’s claws once more closed around his arms. “Something?” The rat’s gaze darted behind, to meet the lifeless, light grey body, before fixating on Henry again. “Do... something. We will do... something, alright.” Ripred’s eyes darted over to the entrance of the cave and only now Henry heard it too – steps. Breaths. Someone was approaching, and by his echolocation it was a rat. No, two of them.

“What did you call it, back then?” Ripred nudged the hilt of Henry’s sword. “A... ground coiler?”

Not a single of the rats had time to react, let alone put up any kind of fight, all the two who had by now reached the entrance to the cave perceived was the glimmer of a flaming blade, that darted at them like a fiery tornado, striking both down before they could bat an eye.

Neither Ripred nor Henry watched for where they struck, not this time. The exiled prince felt like he could almost be back in the Vineyard, where they had first performed this maneuver. Back before he had even met Kismet, before Hamnet’s death, before... before he and Thanatos had worked out their trust issues.

Henry gritted his teeth harder. Perhaps it was best to remain in the here and now after all.

His foot dug into Ripred’s side and the rat clutched his arm so hard it almost hurt as he spun like a frantic spinning top. The world around Henry was a confusing blur, his echolocation didn’t work properly when he was moving this fast, but he thought he didn’t need it now. He closed his eye, allowing his spinning blade to strike.

Screw the prophecy, he thought, gripping the handle even harder and attempting to suppress fresh tears – should I spot the Bane now, he dies on my sword. My sword and Ripred’s claws.

It was only when the rat slowed his spinning when Henry began thinking again. He opened his eye and lowered his blade, supporting himself on Ripred until the world around him stood still again.

“They are retreating”, Ripred mumbled, and Henry indeed saw what had formerly been a battlefield had cleared, only occasionally a rat ran past him, disappearing into a nearby tunnel opening, some towards Regalia, some in the opposite direction. Oh well, the Regalians could handle them, he thought and panted heavily from the fight, rubbing his aching eyes angrily to get the dried tears out, and extinguished his sword before raising his gaze to meet Ripred’s. “It’s... over?”

The rat nodded. “The Bane’s army is retreating. What about your party?”

Henry hesitated. “I sent Howard with Twitchtip, Nike, and Thanatos ahead to the city, they’re more useful there. But I –”

“– TWITCHTIP?!”, Ripred froze in his tracks. “You couldn’t just have said Twitchtip!”

“I... I did, we rescued her and Lapblood with Sixclaw from the Bane’s prison, Splintleg, who had originally been tasked with guarding them, ended up helping us as well, but I’ll explain in detail later.” He sheathed his sword and climbed a small ledge to have a better view.

“Splintleg and Lapblood BOTH helped you?” Ripred scoffed, “how in the world did you manage that? Those two could never even be in the same room together, so much they hated each other’s guts.”

“It wasn’t me, it was –” Henry broke off as his gaze met the entrance of the cave where he could, if he focused, still make out Kismet’s... Whitespur’s body.

“... of course.” Ripred glanced at the floor, like he regretted asking. “Of course”, he repeated, “it was always...”

Henry cut him off. “Lapblood and Splintleg will be gathering their own forces somewhere. But where is Luxa? Did you see where she went after –” He bit his lip, reliving the moment she had struck the Bane in an attempt to save Whitespur and Ripred.

The rat’s tail twitched and pointed in a direction ahead. “She was driven further in, I believe. Let’s go.”

Something about the way he said that left Henry feeling he had wanted to add _...save someone we still can save_ , but the rat remained silent as he led the way. Neither of them felt the need to reiterate what fate had met the last member in Henry’s party either.

They moved for maybe a minute before Ripred stopped so abruptly Henry nearly ran into him. “I can not believe this...”, the rat mumbled but before the exiled prince could ask, Ripred pointed ahead to where the tunnel mounded into a large cave. The opening was high up in the air, maybe ten feet, and when Henry crept closer his eye widened in shock – below he saw the flickering of a torch, a torch in the hand of a human.

Yet when he had processed the scene fully, Henry’s surprise only grew. In the middle of the cave below stood not one but two humans, face to face, from what he could make out staring at each other in bitter defiance – Luxa and Solovet.

“It is not on you to decide which path we take in this war.”

Luxa only silently stared at her grandmother’s stern face. “I am still the queen.”

“Not yet. Not before you have turned sixteen. And if I recall correctly, your sixteenth birthday is not for another two years.”

Luxa visibly clenched her jaw. “Yet you are not the queen either. And I am not a child, I recognize a contradictory command when I see it.” She narrowed her eyes and Henry nervously teetered at the edge, attempting to distinguish a good moment to intervene.

 _Solovet will not leave her alive,_ Ripred’s words rang in his ears, _or so she will try. You can not allow her to succeed._

Henry had closed his hand around the rim of the opening so tightly he felt the stone dig into his palm. Ripred had not explained what reason Solovet could have to want Luxa dead before he had taken off, yet Henry had a feeling he already knew. An informant, Twirltongue had mentioned. A well-informed one, too.

“A contradictory command, you say?” Solovet scoffed. “I fail to see in what way it was contradictory to call for retreat, yet it hardly matters now.” A shiver ran down Henry’s spine at the ice in her stare. Yes, Solovet had always been stern, yet never... like this.

“You called for retreat despite the fact we were winning”, Luxa shot back. He only saw her back yet Henry sensed unease radiating from her.

“Do not bother yourself trying to grasp the reason behind my commands”, Solovet spat out, “You claim you are not a child, that you are fit to lead, yet your mind and heart are weak. They only follow you because you’ve been born with privilege. Had you been born to any other mother not a single of them would regard you with so much as a look.”

“I –” Luxa took an involuntary step back, “I will not deny that I have been born into this role, yet all my life I’ve worked to become worthy of it. It... it saddens me you seem to not believe in me.”

“Pah!” Solovet’s jaw clenched and she took a step forward, “You’ve certainly tried, child. Yet from what it seems, you have not what it takes.”

“And you think you do?”

Both granddaughter and grandmother winced and spun around to unbelievingly stare at the figure up in the tunnel opening. Henry lingered for a few heartbeats before finally dropping down.

“They’ve promised you a throne, have they not?” He almost casually strolled forward. “Surely you aren’t fool enough to believe they will deliver it.”

Luxa visibly tensed at the so familiar seeming words, yet Solovet only laughed. “They’ve promised many things, yet I am not by any means fool enough to believe they have any intention of delivering them. Not like... you, at the time, right, Henry?”

Now it was Henry’s turn to freeze, yet only for a moment. “When have you recognized me? Back on the wall?”

“You may look different, but not as much as you believe, not to a keen eye.” Her stare was condescending and cold. “Yet I am not surprised. You had always far too much confidence in yourself.”

“Overconfidence has saved my life countless times, you know?”

“Fine.” Solovet’s gaze darted back and forth between Henry and Luxa. “And you allow him to fight for you?”, she finally addressed her granddaughter, “after all he’s done?”

Luxa moved not an inch, only stared past Solovet at the wall.

“Hah, and you truly wonder why I claim you to be weak? You can not do what is needed, you never could. It is not your fault, not really”, she sighed, “it is they who have raised you to be soft-hearted, as soft-hearted as they all. Not a single of the weak-minded fools in this wretched city has the strength to do what has to be done!” Her eyes narrowed and she was nearly shouting, “Of peace they talk, of peace and making amends and helping who is supposed to be our enemy!”

Solovet took a step forward and raised her hand to grip the hilt of her sword. Henry saw it was shaking.

“It was perfect – the plague, it was the perfect weapon to eradicate the gnawers from the face of the Underland, yet none of you had the strength to use it. No, you went so far as to SEND THEM THE CURE! To APOLOGIZE! To CRAWL BEFORE THEM ON YOUR KNEES, begging for FORGIVENESS!” Henry stiffened under her sharp stare. “To condemn ME for CREATING IT!”

“It was not fair”, Luxa mumbled, and Solovet let out something like a mix between a laugh and a scoff. “Fair? FAIR? Only a naive child would talk of FAIRNESS when faced with war. What have I ever done?” It was only for a short moment but Henry thought he spotted a spark of madness in her eyes. “What have I ever – all I have ever done was serve who I regarded my people. Yet they – you – do not want my services, apparently. You were to WEAK to use them.”

Henry prevented himself from raising his own hand to the hilt of his sword. Had I heard this speech two years ago, would I have agreed? The thought he most likely would have, unsettled him greatly.

“It was easy convincing them I was on their side. That I hated the fools of Regalia as much as the gnawers, because it is the truth. The silver one, she believes herself so smart it is hard to bear”, Solovet shook her head. “But what good is an unreliable ally? I hardly have to tell you though.” She shot a glance at Henry.

“Whitespur’s appearance posed a temporary issue, but I believe that to be resolved now.”

A wave of fresh anger shot through Henry yet before he could begin yelling at her, or ask how she knew of Whitespur’s fate, she continued – “Once the Bane is killed by the warrior the war will be won. And once the war will be won the gnawers will learn their place. The humans will be the one and only strong civilization of the Underland, of that I will make sure. An era of glory awaits, I am all but saddened you will never live to see it.”

“You will have them, the gnawers”, Luxa mumbled, “chased to the uncharted lands?”

“Maybe”, Solovet scoffed. “Or maybe that is what those with softer hearts would do.”

Henry exchanged a glance with Luxa. “You... you can’t be serious...”

“The uncharted lands can be returned from. The problem will only be solved if the gnawers vanish from the face of the Underland – for good. How did that saying go?”, she tilted her head, “The Underland is not big enough for humans and gnawers. Only for one of us.”

A few seconds of shocked silence followed her words, before Henry had collected his thoughts enough to speak. “You’re tricking the trickster rat, honestly, were it not such a heinous plan I’d be impressed.”

“You should be”, she narrowed her eyes at him. “You of all people should be. You know, I’ve always thought you were the one who could perhaps grow to be strong as well. You, and Hamnet before you. You both had strength in you, yet you both in the end succumbed to your own weakness. Perhaps there is no worthy successor for me after all.”

“Hamnet was not WEAK!” Both Henry and Solovet winced as Luxa stepped forward. “Strength does not equal ruthlessness, compassion and the will to forgive do not make you weak!”, she continued, and Solovet’s eyes narrowed. “Certainly YOU think so.”

“I think so too.” Both of their heads turned in Henry’s direction as he spoke, grimly holding Solovet’s gaze. “I’ll admit it took me... a while to figure that out, but where would we really be, without those we consider weak?” He tugged at the rim of his shirt. “Where would we be without silk from spinners, without wares from crawlers, without the alarm system we can thank the flutterers for – even the shiners are useful occasionally, with their light. It can be hard to believe, I know, but I’ve learned everyone finds a way to contribute. And I’ve learned it the hard way.”

Solovet’s eyes were mere slits. “You disappoint me, Henry. Yet it hardly matters.” She turned back to Luxa. “This is not personal, believe me, had you been of low birth, I would not wish you any harm – but the queen can not return to Regalia.”

Henry’s hand was at his sword in a heartbeat. “You would kill your own granddaughter? It is the crown you want – well, how many of them do you think would follow a queenslayer?”

“Me?” Solovet shifted before retreating a few steps and pulling something from her back pocket. “Oh no. It was... a tragic incident. I had tried to protect her, but the gnawers had gotten to Queen Luxa before I have. Being the monsters they are, they of course took her life.”

She raised what Henry only now recognized as some sort of whistle to her mouth. “Goodbye, Luxa – rest assured you will be missed. I truly wish it would not have to come to this, but as I know you, you would never abdicate. Never allow what needs to be done to be done. Nothing personal.”

Henry had drawn his sword before the long, high-pitched sound of the whistle permeated his ears. He instantly registered movement from all sides, and it took the rats mere seconds to begin streaming in. He leaped in front of Luxa who had also drawn her sword now – “Ignite it!”, he yelled and ignited his own sword before swinging it at an attacking rat, wishing he had drawn Charos instead. Yet to his horror Henry perceived Luxa shriek as the blade was knocked out of her hands only seconds later.

“Get behind me!”, he yelled and swung his sword around frantically, before turning to spin in a circle. His eyes searched for Solovet, yet she was not participating in the battle. She stood with her back on the wall and though the rats were not attacking her, she oozed nervousness. Henry squinted and focused his hearing – yes, she was yelling something. He focused to make it out against the cries of the rats – she was yelling for Ajax.

I can’t take them, not all on my own, Henry thought as he forced Luxa back to a different wall and positioned himself before her. He could barely think as he fended off rat after rat. Where is Ripred, he managed to ask himself, had he not meant to –

A large, dark shadow darted out of a tunnel opening and above their heads, for a second Henry rejoiced thinking Ripred had finally arrived with the fliers, yet when he looked closer he saw rust-red fur, not black or golden. The flier scooped Solovet up instead, to carry her away and out of sight – and with her, her torch.

His heart instantly sank as they found themselves in absolute darkness and he felt Luxa’s grip on his backpack tighten. She was shaking. “I’ve got you!”, he yelled, his echolocation illuminated the room perfectly, yet he sensed Luxa’s unease as she ducked behind him. “Don’t leave –” In the same moment a rat tackled and threw him to the floor, and for a moment he lost sight of Luxa. “LUXA!!”, he screamed, drawing Mys and slicing the throat of his attacker in the same heartbeat. “LUXA!”

There she was, a couple paces ahead. Her scream permeated his ears and Henry sprung to his feet the moment he perceived the rat leap.

A jolt of sharp pain ran through his lower body in the same moment as he heard a familiar cry. Ripred made it, he thought as he desperately clung to Luxa whom he had shoved to the side so hard she had nearly stumbled into the wall. Then the pain numbed his mind and he slipped into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

Henry registered the dull yet imminent pain before he registered the soft light, coloring the ceiling above his head in ghastly, dancing patterns. It’s water, he thought, the light must originate from some sort of water body. Only when his head had cleared so much he could use his echolocation he processed he heard two heartbeats.

He cried from pain as he jolted up and fell backward again, clenching his stomach. As he removed his hand from what he now identified as a bandage it was colored red from blood.

“I thought it had killed you.”

Henry’s head darted around and he froze as his eyes met those of Luxa – large and round. She stared at him from where she sat, a couple feet away, with her legs pulled to her chest. “I really thought it had killed you”, she repeated and finally averted her gaze. She sat on a shallow stone and behind her, Henry made out the glistening light of...

This time he combatted the pain and rose in confusion, thinking he was dreaming. “We’re... here?”

Luxa nodded. “It was surprisingly close. Ripred set us up for this. He gave Aurora directions, and said we’d be safe here. That you have to rest, away from battle. No matter what you say.”

Henry unbelievingly stared at the Spout that stretched behind Luxa and then looked up to see the opening of the secret tunnel. “Here...”, he mumbled before lying back down.

“Here”, she replied, and he registered she was still not looking at him.

For a moment they remained silent, and Henry closed his eye, thinking whatever had her talking to him, he would not disturb it. But then his curiosity won over – “Where... is Aurora, actually? And Ripred, and Death?”

Luxa shifted. “Aurora is here, she is out keeping watch.” She glanced around, as if in search of her bond. “Back after we had gotten you out of immediate danger Ripred asked Thanatos to help him with something. They would catch up soon, he said. I... I had to get you further away from there, from the danger.”

Henry raised his hand to touch the bandage. “Did you...?”

“Howard once showed me how”, she mumbled. “I... I did the best I could.” She kneaded her hands almost nervously.

“You...”, he hesitated before averting his gaze and lowering his hand. “You really bothered? And that even though it would have been better for us all, had I stayed dead?”

Luxa notably winced. “I... I didn’t... I...” Henry knew he could make things easier for her, but at this point he didn’t know why he should bother. “It is what you said”, he simply stated, “and honestly, you’re probably right. It would have been better for you all had I stayed dead.”

“That’s not true.”

Henry’s head jerked around to her, even though she had spoken so silently he didn’t know if a human with normal hearing would have understood.

She was resting her chin on the top of her knees and her hands were firmly locked, yet her eyes were on him. In a long time she hadn’t looked at him with so much clarity.

“Had you remained dead... I would have died, back there.” Her words, though silently spoken, rang in his ears like she had screamed them. “No, I would have died back in the trap. Or perhaps, in the Vineyard of Eyes. No –”, she raised her head a little, “Had you stayed dead, Aurora and I would have fallen to the... serpents.”

Henry’s hand automatically darted up to cup the right side of his face and Luxa took a deep breath. “You know what I asked myself the most, over the course of however long it’s been since we’ve last met here? Why I refused to pursue the idea further that you might be the Death Rider? I’ve been thinking... I...”, she sighed, “It wasn’t because I couldn’t recognize you, not after you’ve appeared to our aid in the jungle. I always thought it was because I didn’t want to recognize you.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Henry shut his eye.

“No, you don’t”, she called, “You don’t! Because the thing that had me wondering most, the one inconsistency that made it so hard to believe, was that I could for the life of me not understand... not wrap my head around... why! Why you... YOU... would come back to me in such a manner. Why YOU would play your part as the Death Rider, to give me a reason to... to...”, she swallowed, “to trust you again!”

Henry’s eye flung back open and he stared at her helplessly slumped over figure and her large, pleading, and much too tired eyes.

“You... what?”, he thought he must have misheard, but no. “You... THAT was what made it hard to – wait, I don’t understand...” Out of all the reasons her denial episode could have had, it had supposed to have been...

“Yeah, I don’t get it.” She averted her eyes and her tone hardened. “You... you chose to betray me, back then, so why would you go back on that now? Come back to... to... haunt me, even after I’ve somehow managed to come to terms with the fact you had supposed to have decided it was your path to betray me. So why?” She looked back at him and in her eyes he saw angry defiance. “That’s all I want to know. All I’ve... ever really wanted to know.”

Henry’s mouth stood agape as his mind reeled. “You... wait, you think I...” She was the first to avert her eyes to the floor. Hadn’t he seen it glistening in the glow of the water, he would have missed the tear that rolled down her cheek.

“Luxa, I –” The familiar desire to just hug her overcame him and he clenched his fists before rising carefully. “I never... I didn’t... didn’t do that because I wanted to hurt you.” The moment the words escaped his mouth he realized how stupid they sounded. “What I mean is...”, he hesitated, attempting to find a way to say it truthfully yet also possible to comprehend. “I didn’t betray you because of something you did wrong.”

Luxa looked back up, her eyes shone with tears and Henry bit his lip. “Look, there were many factors that played a part in why I decided to do what I did, and I know this sounds somewhat silly, but I never meant for you to get hurt. It had nothing to do with you.”

He felt a swell of guilt overcome him as he recognized in her eyes she had so far felt responsible for what he had done.

“Look, I... I don’t know how much this will help, but if you want, I can tell you the whole story. From the beginning. With all the how’s and why’s and when’s and but’s. Okay?”

Luxa hesitated for a moment, then she nodded. “Okay.”

“Huh, looks like sending the two of you ahead had a positive side effect.” Both Henry and Luxa instantly jerked up at the sound of Ripred’s voice and the exiled prince realized he had not paid attention to his surroundings.

“You could say that”, Luxa mumbled before she rose from where she had lied next to Henry. His arm she had clung to felt empty after she had let go.

“You two finally gotten to talk stuff out?” Thanatos appeared on his other side and Henry briefly leaned his face against that of the flier. “Yeah. We’ve had... stuff to talk about, alright.” He smiled in her direction.

Luxa had not interrupted a single time throughout his tale, she had taken in his first encounter with Tonguetwist, her promises and tales, how she had then brought him the proposition from Gorger to deliver Gregor to them in exchange for peace, and how he had believed the rat king like a fool, and then paid the price.

And all she had done after he had seized speaking was lie down beside him, to cling to his arm like it was a lifeline and quietly weep, for as long as she had needed to. He had let her, of course he had.

So many things he had still wanted to say – mainly how he was sorry, how all he had done in his time as an outcast had been to make amends, that he would give his life for her in an instant – yet somehow none of it had needed to be said. They had never needed many words, he thought, and maybe they wouldn’t anymore again, from now on.

“I’m glad. Also that your injury is not keeping you down”, was all Thanatos responded and Henry smiled, until he noticed what the flier was carrying.

The exiled prince released a sharp breath and his head began to spin again. Even Luxa’s suppressed shriek he registered only on the side.

“I could not leave her there”, Ripred mumbled as he lied Whitespur’s body out on the beach, close to the water.

“H... how...”, Luxa stammered and fell to her knees between Aurora and Henry. The golden bat stared at Whitespur with large, unbelieving eyes as well. “She... no...”

Henry felt himself beginning to shake again. “It’s not... fair”, he mumbled before falling forward, towards her. Luxa caught his arm and he buried his face in her shoulder. Yet as aghast and sorrowful as they all were, none grieved as Ripred.

He sat next to her, side by side, for what amounted to full ten minutes, staring out onto the glowing Spout. None of them spoke, Henry and Luxa had huddled together, their bonds had settled with their heads on their laps. The exiled prince was painfully aware this was the only quiet moment he’d get to truly grieve in this chaotic, uncertain time, and he allowed it, allowed the searing pain to permeate him, allowed the tears to flow.

It was Luxa who broke the silence at last. “I think we should...” She carefully untangled herself from Henry and Aurora and stood up. “Should put her to rest here.”

The exiled prince took a deep breath and wiped his tears before he followed her. “Yes. It’s a good place to... to rest.”

“I only wish I...” Luxa stood before Whitespur now, “I would have gotten to know her better. All I can say is, that in the short time I’ve known her, I’ve... I’ve... grown to trust her.” There was no higher compliment from Luxa’s mouth than that.

“You and I both”, Aurora behind her mumbled, “she saved your life, and I will never forget her for what she’s done for us.”

“You should have gotten to know her better.” Henry put an arm around Luxa’s shoulder as he stood by her side. “You’d have had so much fun together. She...”, he wiped at his face to suppress more tears, “I sought her out to be my teacher, more than a year ago, but she was so much more. She... without her, I would have died more times than I can count, without her I would have never gotten over the loss of my eye.”

He held his gaze fixed on her as Thanatos at his side spoke – “She had so much wisdom, so much skill, I had grown to admire her greatly. I never expressed it, yet now I wish I would have. We shared... pain of similar kind, and somehow that made it better.” He paused for a moment, “She never wanted the crown, but she would have deserved it.”

“She wanted to make peace.” It was all Ripred said, and somehow it was all he needed to say.

It did not take long to discover a fitting cave, right by the beach. Thanatos carried her body over and lied it out, then Luxa and Ripred began filling the entrance up with loose stones. Henry they ordered to lie down to go easy on his injury.

Within minutes the cave was sealed. The exiled prince stared at the freshly erected wall for a moment before he slowly rose from where he had watched, despite the sting in his stomach, took a step forward and drew Mys.

“It’ll serve as reminder”, he stepped back again and stared at the crossed scythe he’d carved into a large stone in the middle of the wall. “Here lies Whitespur”, he mumbled, “she who sought to make peace.”

They remained in front of the grave for another minute before Ripred moved. “We must not linger any longer”, he mumbled and turned away. “There is still a war going on, and still a decision to make.” He regarded Luxa, “whether you can even afford to set foot in Regalia, with what Solovet announced earlier.”

Luxa’s jaw clenched. “I will go to Regalia and I will publicly announce her betrayal. She can not hurt me from within a prison cell.”

“Hey, easy, easy”, Henry put a hand on her shoulder, not without ending up supporting himself on her before finally sitting down. “Who says you can get to the council before whoever is working with her can get to you? We currently don’t know anything other than that Solovet has betrayed us. Maybe it’s best for you to remain out here until she is dealt with.”

“I agree”, Aurora sounded behind her, “we can not trust anyone except the few we know we can trust, right now.”

“But I can’t just –” Luxa gazed at Henry defiantly, “I can’t sit idle and watch her drive my city into ruin!”

“Sometimes it is best to wait, and act when your action is guaranteed to have an effect, Your Majesty”, Ripred sounded. “Maybe you and Aurora should stay out here with the lad. Be our eyes on the outside, so to say.”

“I’ll keep her safe”, Henry assured and Luxa ignored Ripred’s “well actually, aren’t YOU hurt?” and instead fixated on him. “You... and me? Out here? Just like –”

“Just like old times”, Henry managed a grin and this time she returned it, before turning back to Ripred. “You will handle things for me in the city? And send for me if you need something? You should also maybe get that scratch looked at”, she pointed at his face and Ripred mindlessly brushed it. “Oh, that’s whatever.”

“About the others”, Luxa hesitated, “about Gregor, I...”

The rat chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered”, he waited not for Luxa to interrupt him, “And I’ll have an eye on your other loved ones too if you have an eye on the lad here for me. So that he doesn’t overexert himself again. Promise?”

Henry lied while Luxa, and Aurora silently sat beside him on the beach, before Whitespur’s grave, and watched Thanatos with Ripred on his back flying higher and higher circles until the rat could reach the entrance to the turtle tunnel. He heaved himself in and had disappeared within seconds.

“I want to say I find it hard to believe that Solovet would...”, Luxa pressed her lips together before glancing down at him, “do you find it awful of me to not be surprised?”

Henry shrugged. “No. Honestly, I... I used to greatly admire her but... one of us grew up, I guess, while the other... grew down? I’m not sure how to describe it.”

Luxa giggled a little. “It is so much easier than I imagined it would be. To... to laugh with you again.”

“I’d honestly given up hope, at this point.”

“You do make things easier for me”, she pondered as she dug her hand into the sand. “It won’t be hard convincing the council to pardon you, once they’ve heard the story you told me earlier. The fact that you’ve spent two years in exile already should also help. They can hardly sentence you to more, for attempting to make peace between our species. Granted, it wasn’t the best idea ever, the way you did it, but it’s the effort that counts.” She smiled. “Had you told me about it, I would have told you you were an idiot.”

Henry wanted to laugh with her, but he suddenly realized as easy as she thought things were now – there was still something else he needed to tell her.

Thanatos landed in the same moment as Luxa reached for her backpack. “I’m... sorry I took this without permission”, she mumbled before rummaging through her bag and stretching out her hand in his direction – “Though... you did offer it to me, a while ago.”

Henry blinked and stared in surprise at the item in her hand. “My... dagger? Wait – YOU took it?”

“I...”, she averted her gaze to the floor. “I thought it would make things awkward to say I’d changed my mind, so I just...”

Henry finally managed a smile, though pushed her hand back. “You keep it. I have Mys now and... you’ve earned it, honestly. Maybe, if you so want, you can remember me through it.”

Luxa’s head shot up. “Re... remember?”

This time it was Henry who had to avert his gaze. “Luxa... I’m not going back to Regalia with you.”


	30. Riddles

Gregor felt the tension hanging over the palace, wondering why he didn’t see physical electric discharge. He barely registered Ares landing, only when the bat stumbled forward and nearly collapsed he remembered he was still injured from the battle against the Bane.

“Hey, are you okay?”, he leaned over Ares’ neck, “we have to get you to the hospital –”

“You both, actually.”

Gregor spun around and saw Andromeda with Mareth on her back. The soldier whipped out his crutch and maneuvered himself over to Gregor. “Come, it is what Solovet ordered.”

A hundred thoughts clustered in Gregor’s head as he followed Mareth through the palace – why had Solovet ordered him back after giving the command to follow Luxa’s call? Where had Luxa even come from? Where was she now?

“Is my family alright?”, he asked instead, and Mareth nodded. “They’ve not left the code room, or, in your mother’s case, the hospital. I’m sure once you’ve had your own check-up, they’ll let you visit her.”

Andromeda remained behind, mumbling she’d go back to help out on the field, before Mareth swung the door to the hospital open. Gregor clenched his teeth, but before he could voice his own thoughts, the soldier interrupted – “Listen, I know you want to go out there and help, but we can’t afford to risk your life now. You are far too important.”

He placed a hand on Gregor’s shoulder who averted his gaze. Yeah, I can’t die yet, he thought, not unless I take the Bane with me, then it’s of course perfectly fine.

“You must think of your flier too”, Mareth urged and his gaze darted to Ares who only now had caught up. “I’m fine”, he mumbled, but Gregor instantly saw he was lying. A jolt of shame hit him at his own selfishness. Even if he died, there was no justification to risk Ares’ life needlessly.

“Fine”, Gregor mumbled and trotted after Mareth down the hall to the reception of the hospital. As soon as they passed the first doctor he was immediately detained and led to an empty room for his check-up. Mareth remained behind and Ares was brought to a different area to have his injury looked at. Even though Gregor felt anxious being left alone with strangers, the two doctors who took over his case were friendly and apparently knew what they were doing, so that he was done in less than fifteen minutes.

“Nothing severe”, one of the doctors who had introduced herself as Triana smiled, “my colleague will fix you up in no time.”

“Awesome”, Gregor shot her a smile, “I can leave soon, then?”

The doctors exchanged a look before Triana’s colleague cleared his throat. “I am afraid we haven’t the authorization to allow you out of the hospital, so ordered Solovet.”

Gregor’s grip on the edge of the bed tightened. “What? Why? Can’t I at least go see my mother? And my other family in the code room?”

The doctors exchanged another glance, before both shook their head. “I could... send someone to ask if they may visit you” – but Triana interrupted her colleague, “Solovet ordered for him to remain without visit from outside. I am not even certain if we are authorized to allow him a visit with his mother. I will check at once.” With that she spun around on her heel and disappeared out of the room.

“My apologies”, her colleague muttered, shot Gregor a somewhat forced smile, and went after her. The door he closed behind him and Gregor heard the lock snap into place.

Gregor let out a frustrated grown. He eyed the door for a moment, then decided it would not amount to anything, banging on it and demanding they’d let him out. It’s not like it would happen anyway.

He let himself fall backward on the sheet and shut his eyes. This was just fantastic. He had fought the Bane – a battle the Bane wouldn’t forget anytime soon, either. An image of the severed tail flashed before his inner eye and Gregor shuddered at the madness that had sparked in the white rat’s eyes at its sight.

There had been Ripred and Kismet... Whitespur. They had, she had... Gregor squeezed his eyes shut tighter, what had she tried to do? Get the Bane’s army to follow her instead? Why would they have done that?

Gregor shook his head in agitation. Whatever her goal had been, it was of little use thinking about it now or what it had amounted to. He had no way of finding out what she had achieved – if anything. Well, judging by Solovet’s angry face, she must have achieved something.

Solovet. Gregor instinctively clenched his fists, Solovet who had visibly hesitated before giving the order to follow Luxa’s cry to attack. Who had held him back by his sleeve, ordering Mareth to accompany him and Ares back to Regalia. What was she really up to? Gregor recalled what Ripred had revealed to him about her, yet he failed to see a pattern in her actions. The fact that she was up to no good was plain as day, yet what WAS it she wanted?

Unnerved, Gregor opened his eyes. The oil lamp on the wall emitted only sparse light and he barely made out the color of the ceiling, let alone what was stacked on top of the little cabinet in the corner beside the door. Click. It was books, Gregor thought. Click. Click. Some glass cylinder and a spare oil cannister.

The face of Luxa appeared before his inner eye... Luxa, alive and well. He smiled. For a moment he contemplated standing up and fetching the photo he had put back in his backpack after the doctors had him take off the armor.

She was out there, his smile faded, fighting for her people. She... had held a flaming sword, Gregor thought. A flaming... His eyes jolted open at once. The only one who had ever wielded a flaming sword in all of the Underland was Henry, and last time he had seen her, she had not regarded Henry with a single look. Gregor’s brows furrowed, what –

“Gregor!”

He jolted up from his sheet when he heard the voice.

“Goodness, Gregor, you’re alright – when they told me you’d been confined to a hospital room I assumed the worst!”

Gregor blinked a few times before darting out of bed and at – “Howard!”

“Yes, yes, it is me”, Luxa’s cousin placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, though Gregor instantly saw how exhausted he was. “It was a damn hassle to find you”, he mumbled, “last time I checked this hospital was a place of transparency and cooperation.”

“Howard, you...” Gregor tilted his head, only now realizing he hadn’t seen him in ages. Not ever since he had been ordered back to the city to training, after they’d returned from their quest. After he’d learned Luxa had disappeared.

“Howard, where were you? And, how did you get in here? Into the palace, I mean. You and Luxa, you just disappeared, back during that battle, I didn’t...”

But Howard interrupted him. “Those are tales for a different time.” He determinately directed Gregor away from the door before shutting it, like he was paranoid someone would hear them.

“Listen, we haven’t much time before I will be discovered in here, and then there will be questions.” He sighed. “We’ve been driven into a trap that day, Luxa, our fliers, and I. Hadn’t Kismet and Henry come to save us, we would have lost our light certainly.”

Gregor plopped back onto the bed and stared at Howard. “A... trap?”

“Someone’s out to kill Luxa, Kismet said.” He sighed. “We took to following the Bane’s forces in their march on Regalia and overheard some conversations confirming there is an informant among us, though they never mentioned their identity. Where is Luxa? Is she here? Safe?”

An informant... Gregor’s eyes were round as marbles. Was it Solovet? He swallowed, would she really try to kill her own granddaughter? Then again, at this point, who else would it even be?

Before he could voice his thoughts, Howard interrupted him – “Gregor, where is she now? Where is Luxa?”

“She’s not here, I think”, he finally mumbled. “I battled the Bane earlier and...” – “We saw”, Howard began pacing up and down. “Kismet, Henry, Luxa, our fliers, and I watched you battle him. Then Henry devised a plan to lure the rats away from the city walls. He sent Twitchtip and I with Nike and Thanatos to the Spout, to enter Regalia without being spotted.” He clenched his fist. “He promised to have Luxa follow us later. The bastard...”

Gregor shook his head. “She was... wait”, his gaze darted upward, “did you just say... Twitchtip?”

Howard nodded and Gregor’s heart skipped a beat. “We came across her in the Bane’s camp on the Plane of Tartarus. Henry and Kismet rescued her from prison, together with Lapblood and Sixclaw, her pup. She is in far from optimal condition. But she lives.” Howard shifted, “As soon as we’ve arrived back I asked a friend here to bring her to an unused room and treat her, do not worry, he is an excellent doctor.”

Gregor’s mind reeled. Twitchtip. Memories of the rat swam before his eyes. He and Ares had been forced to leave her in the Labyrinth, but she hadn’t died. The rats had kept her alive apparently, and probably tortured and starved her while they tried to extract information out of her about Gregor.

“Can I see her?”

Howard raised an eyebrow. “... well, certainly, but now is not the time for that. We must act quickly. If Luxa is not here, she is in peril. Twitchtip will live”, he smiled, “some others might not.”

Gregor pressed his lips together. “You’re right.” He attempted to fit all the new information into his head to form a coherent plan. What was their priority now?

“Where are the bats who carried you up here?”

“Nike followed me, she joined the fliers helping with carrying the wounded from the battlefield”, Howard approached the door and peeked through the keyhole. “Thanatos remained behind, to stay with his bond.”

“So, what do we –” Before Gregor could finish his question, Howard jerked back from the door and only moments later it was swung open, Triana stood in the doorway.

“Oh?” She blinked, her gaze wandered back and forth between Howard and Gregor. “You have company.” She didn’t sound too happy about it.

Howard cleared his throat. “I’m Howard. I work here as well. And I’d like to know why he is being confined here, he is unharmed. We should reserve these rooms for those who actually need them.”

Triana pressed her lips together. “Oh, certainly. Yet Solovet ordered –”

“Solovet ordered us to accompany him to the war room”, a voice behind Triana spoke and the doctor winced. Gregor clutched the bedsheet tighter as two men emerged behind Triana, two heavily armed men, who were both at least six feet tall.

“But – but the protocol –” – “Eat your protocol”, one of them shoved Triana aside, “Solovet is holding a meeting in the war room, and she wishes for the warrior to attend. Come now.”

Gregor threw a last glance back at Howard and Triana who remained standing in the doorway before he was led out of sight. Great – now he had some of Solovet’s bodyguards to deal with as well. There went his last chance to sneak out and look for Luxa.

As the three made their way out of the hospital he suddenly asked himself where Ripred was. He had claimed to keep an eye on him when Solovet had last sent bodyguards – where was he now? Unease rose in Gregor as he remembered Ripred jumping down the wall to join Whitespur in mocking the Bane. Had he not made it back yet? Howard hadn’t mentioned him, and –

“We bring him.” Gregor was shoved through a doorway and found himself in the former council room that Solovet had turned into the war command center. Only as he took his first look around he saw Ares was already here. He looked better than before and returned Gregor’s nod, but his leg was still bandaged. And there was someone else too – “Vikus!”

Luxa’s grandfather gave him a smile, and Mareth who emerged behind him as well. “Hello Gregor”, Vikus greeted and he automatically made his way over to him.

“Now that we’ve all arrived”, sounded a stern voice from the head of the big table, “let us all take in the dire news I’m afraid I must deliver.” It was Solovet, without her armor now, who stood leaned against the table. Though, Gregor frowned, something about her seemed not right. She usually took great care to look her best, yet now her braid was disheveled, her clothes plain and hastily put together, and her stare was icy.

Gregor furrowed his brows, what kind of news had she that she’d assembled the council for it, and Mareth and Gregor? He saw the shapes of a few more bats in the background, including Ajax who cowered somewhat offside from the others. He wondered if Vikus’ bond Euripides was among them.

“You have all witnessed the act of bravery Queen Luxa has demonstrated, outside the city walls today”, Solovet began, and was immediately interrupted – “How did she even get there? Hadn’t you yourself said she was in the city this whole time?”, a council member with a beard that reached past his waist demanded to know.

His call was picked up by others – “No, I’ve heard she’s made a mistake, that Queen Luxa has fought for us from the outside, with the Death Rider!” – “Fought for us? I hear she’s been hiding somewhere outside the city, like a coward!”

“SILENCE!”, Solovet shouted and the room fell into tensed silence. Gregor heard Vikus’ strained breathing beside him and automatically reached to grab his arm. Apparently, the whole uncertainty around Luxa’s whereabouts had already created it’s fair share of rumors. Gregor bit his lip, suppressing the urge to stand up and reveal all he knew, to explain what Luxa had been doing. They hadn’t the right to badmouth her.

“Following her call to attack, a battle broke out in the tunnels around Regalia”, Solovet spoke on and Gregor noticed her hands clenched so hard around the rim of the table her knuckles shone whiter than her skin. “Though I’m afraid to inform it has all been an elaborate set up”, she paused, “a trap to lure Luxa away from our soldiers, to take her life.” Grave silence hung over the room. “I assure you, I attempted to protect her, yet... I could only watch as the gnawers took her life.”

Gregor could barely hear anything through the ringing in his head. The room was in dismay, he thought. There were screams, someone had stood up, someone – he felt Vikus’ arm he was still clutching growing limp and only on the side registered Mareth had caught him as he had passed out.

Luxa was... It was their dance at Hazard’s party he found himself taken back to. Her smile... had that been the last time she had smiled at him? Gregor blinked as he felt tears well up in his eyes. No, she had smiled at him when Henry had taken the photo... the photo... he reached upward towards where it had been during the battle, but of course, it was back in his backpack at the hospital.

She was not really dead, he meekly thought, who even knew if Solovet was telling the truth? Hadn’t he just established she was a traitor?

Gregor bit his lip so hard it hurt as words clogged his mind, so many words he still had wanted to say to Luxa. Words he hadn’t even formulated out yet, but whose meaning was crystal clear... was clear as light. He would see her again, he promised himself here and there – and when he saw her again, he would tell her.

“Well, in that case”, a very familiar voice cut through the mist around Gregor’s head like a knife, “QUEEN Nerissa will have something to say to you all.”

Gregor slowly turned his head to check if he hadn’t misheard.

“Ripred...?” Solovet’s voice sounded aghast as she watched the great scarred rat stroll into the war room, closely followed by Nerissa. She was dressed neatly this time, her hair in a clean braid, yet her expression was unreadable, and only now Gregor registered she hadn’t been officially summoned to this meeting.

Murmur broke out in the room at the sight of Ripred, and though a wave of relief instantly washed over Gregor, he also saw in what miserable of a state the rat was. His fur was ruffled and he looked like he hadn’t gotten a single moment of rest in ages. Yet the most worrying thing was a fresh cut right across his face, forming a cross with the old scar. It had visibly bled not long ago, Gregor still saw crusted, dried blood smear Ripred’s fur. Was that really all his own?

“It is good to see you alive, Ripred.” Solovet had apparently recovered from her initial shock, and soon turned to Nerissa. “You truly wish to attempt to lead in these trying times, child? We will all understand if you feel like it is too heavy a burden.”

A wave of disgust overwhelmed Gregor when he understood what Solovet was doing. Don’t let her get away with this Nerissa, he internally prayed, don’t let her have them all believe she is the only fit ruler left.

Nerissa pressed her lips together. “I will do what I must”, she at last said, and Gregor smiled.

Gregor barely registered where he was going, all he did was follow Ripred. Nobody, not even Solovet, had protested when the rat had naturally shoved him out of the war room, only minutes after his and Nerissa’s entrance.

“You look like you’ve swallowed a whole lemon”, Ripred suddenly stopped and grinned, “what’s the matter?”

Gregor raised his gaze, only to realize they stood before the code room. “Luxa...”, he began, but Ripred interrupted him, “Luxa couldn’t be doing better.” He paused and frowned, “Okay, maybe she could be, but my point is, she is most certainly not DEAD.”

Despite his own doubts in Solovet’s words, hearing it confirmed from Ripred immediately lifted a daunting weight off Gregor’s chest and he smiled.

“Not even trying to hide it anymore, eh?”, Ripred mocked, before stepping into the code room. Two arms immediately encircled Gregor as he followed. “You’re BACK!”, cried Lizzie and he hugged her, “Of course I am.”

“And I don’t get a hug?”

Gregor shot Ripred a sour look before releasing Lizzie who instantly darted over to give him a hug as well. “Oh, what happened to your face?”

“Gregor, we were so worried!” Before he had the time to look around, he was caught in a different pair of arms and moments later his face pressed into his dad’s shirt. “I’m okay”, he mumbled, “we’re all okay.”

“Alright, alright, all heartwarming family reunions aside”, Ripred cleared his throat, “I’m afraid we’ve stuff to discuss.” He let his gaze wander over who was present from the code team – Teslas with Daedalus and Reflex in a far-off corner, surrounded by scrolls, next to them Hazard, and finally Gregor and his dad.

“You and I might know things”, Ripred addressed Gregor directly, “but I feel like it’s time we share our knowledge with those we know we still can trust, in these dire times.”

Gregor let go of his dad and nodded. Up until now they had needed to keep Solovet’s betrayal a secret, but now that she’d gone so far as to announce Luxa’s death... “We have to do something or we’ll all be at Solovet’s mercy soon”, he mumbled, thinking as much as Nerissa would try, Solovet had long proven she had ways of dealing with people who stood in her way.

“That’s right”, Ripred nodded. “And something we will do, alright.”

Gregor gazed around the little assembly of friendly faces Ripred had called together and thought seeing so many people here actually made the old nursery feel way less creepy. Maybe the fact that they had put up lanterns also helped with that.

“So, what news do you have for us, that were so urgent?” Howard notably twitched and Gregor thought he wanted to get back to the hospital as soon as possible. Maybe even to check on Twitchtip.

“Patience, Howard”, Ripred leaned against the rim of the turtle sculpture behind him. Gregor’s gaze wandered further, to Teslas who sat next to Howard, then Nerissa with Ares and Nike on his other side. Ripred himself was in the middle, and the center of attention.

For a moment Gregor wondered why nobody had invited Vikus, but before he could ask, Ripred began – “So”, he leaned forward, “so, so, so... I’ve told Gregor about this before, back then urging him to not disclose it. Now though, I feel it is time to share this with more people we can trust. So, feel honored to be here.”

Nobody said a word, they all just stared at him.

“Fine. How about this”, Ripred scratched his back, “Luxa is alive and well, Solovet’s betrayed us, and you all are currently – well, almost – the only ones I trust in this palace.”

The silence that followed his words was loaded with shock. “Solovet has... what?”, Howard asked, but Ripred interrupted him. “Just hear me out.”

Gregor listened to the theory that wasn’t quite a theory anymore Ripred unfolded before them with growing dread. The fact that it was supposed to be her plan to trick Twirltongue and the rats into trusting her and finally eradicating the entire race of the gnawers shocked even him, as it did everyone.

“And so, she seeks to take over power”, Ripred concluded, “which is why she announced Luxa’s death. They’ll need a new leader, if Luxa is out of the picture, and guess who she figured that would be.”

“I will not allow this”, Nerissa cut him off. “Solovet may be powerful, but she is not of royal blood. As long as I live she has no legitimate claim to the throne.” Gregor had seldom seen her face so dire.

“You, dear girl, are the one who will have to be the most cautious. What if Solovet decides you do pose a threat as well, and have you handled the same way she planned to have Luxa handled?”

Nerissa pressed her lips together.

“There is a time for everything”, Ripred sighed, “and for you is now the time to appear as little threatening as possible. Once we’ve found a way to expose Solovet, Luxa will return. There is no need to risk your own life in the process. Henry’d try to stab me in my sleep again certainly, should something happen to you”, he mumbled quieter.

“But why can’t we expose her now?”, Howard had stood up and stared at Ripred, his frown was even more prominent than before. “Surely if we all speak against her, the council will believe us!”

“I’m afraid it is not so easy”, Ripred shook his head. “You must think of the big picture here. If we expose Solovet as a traitor before this war has ended, we risk adding inner conflict to the already pressing outer one. Arresting someone so close to the royal family, and that for something as severe as treason, always brings with itself an uproar. We do not know the number of people who will support her if she asks – what if we do expose her and earn ourselves a civil war on top of the conflict with the Bane?”

Howard visibly clenched his jaw but remained silent and Gregor swallowed. He saw Ripred’s point, but he also hated sitting idle, leaving her in power, even.

“Do not worry, she might shallowly go along with Twirltongue and whatever she requests for now, but she wants to win this war as much as we do. How else will she erase the race of the gnawers?”, Ripred assured. “For now, it is the lesser evil to leave her where she is. Just be cautious”, he threw a pensive gaze around, “and do not allow any part of this conversation to leave this room.”

The assembly was quiet for a moment, taking the rat’s words in.

“And... Luxa?”, Nike finally asked, scratching the floor awkwardly. “Will she remain hidden, outside, with the Death Rider? With Henry?”

Ripred nodded. “She’s safer out there with him than she would be in here. The only thing that worries me is the public morale. Though that will be your most prominent job”, he eyed Nerissa. “Feeling up to the task?”

Nerissa scooted around nervously. “I will do what I can”, she finally mumbled, though Gregor sensed her unease.

“Very good. So”, Ripred concluded, gazing at Gregor, “we should make it our priority to set you up against the Bane as soon as possible, to end this war at last, so that we can deal with our inner issues.”

Gregor swallowed. “Yeah. Though...”, he furrowed his brows, “wait, what about whatever Kis- eh, Whitespur was doing? What was she even doing?”

Wouldn’t he know better, Gregor would have thought Ripred had winced back. “That...”, his gaze turned to the floor, “let’s just say, that didn’t exactly go as planned.”

Gregor found himself utterly shaken by the tale the rat told next, of how Whitespur together with Henry and Luxa had gone out to seek for allies who still remained loyal to her, from her time under Gorger, how they had rescued Lapblood, Sixclaw, and Twitchtip, and even won over Splintleg for their cause. How they had planned on turning the Bane’s forces against him using Whitespur’s influence, and how it had ended for her.

“We... buried her by the Spout”, Ripred mumbled, “it was the best we could do in such a short time.”

Dire silence hung over the room for a few heartbeats before Howard spoke – “She died a heroine.” Nobody felt like they had to say more.

He hadn’t known Whitespur for long, yet Gregor felt tears rise in his eyes. An image of her, as she had consoled him after his talk with Luxa at the citadel flashed before his inner eye, the many times she had saved them, protected them, guided them. It was not fair, he thought, yet before the first tear could escape his eye, Ripred’s ears twitched.

“Something is not right”, he mumbled with his eyes on the doorframe. Shadows of many people hastily ran by and Ripred rose. “Something has –” Just as he fell silent again to listen, the scratching began.

He was asking her something, Gregor thought, as he watched Hazard and Lizzie in a corner of the code room. They had returned here maybe half an hour ago, and despite the familiar environment, he failed to shake the unease.

After Ripred’s meeting had been interrupted he had gone to ask someone what was happening, leaving Teslas and Ares to take Gregor back to the code room. The rest had also disassembled, Nerissa and Nike had taken off in different directions, and Howard had headed straight to the hospital.

Gregor, Ares, and Teslas had arrived back in the code room shortly, only to be greeted with the sight of an utterly terrified Lizzie in the arms of their dad. He, Teslas, and Hazard had narrowly prevented another of her panic attacks and Gregor himself felt even he could barely stand the scratching, he thought the sound reminded him too much of back when Ripred had ordered the small rats to drive them out of their New York apartment. Though Ares had shortly after explained that was the point of it.

“It is a technique the gnawers use to instill fear”, he had mumbled, “yet do not worry, they can not scratch their way into the palace.” It had only made Gregor feel a little better.

He had simply sunken against a wall and attempted to distract himself, yet the scratching was slowly but surely driving him mad. Only then an even more frightening realization hit him – “How did the rats even get past the city wall?” He twitched, biting his lip at the thought they must have somehow reached the palace for them to even hear their sounds. Yet his question had only earned confused head-shaking from the rest of the code team.

Some ten minutes later Ripred finally stood in the doorway. “The gnawers are in the city”, he heaved like he had just run a marathon. “They say they’ve dug a tunnel beneath the wall”, he shook his head, “nonsense, if you ask me.” His gaze was more than suggestive and Gregor shivered at the thought someone might have... let them in.

“They’re conducting some great evacuation”, Ripred plopped down beside Gregor’s dad with Lizzie, “the citizens will be granted shelter in the palace, so I hear.”

Ares’ wings nervously fluttered. “They might need my help then”, he looked back at Gregor, who just nodded. “Go. We’ll be fine.” The bat was out of the room in seconds.

“Does each letter stand for another letter?”, Gregor heard Hazard ask and shifted his attention back on the kids. They were surrounded by the code team, Teslas and Ripred on both sides.

“Yes, but there’s some extra trick on top of that. Like maybe you’re supposed to throw out every third letter or something, and then it will make sense”, Lizzie replied, staring at the scroll intensely.

Gregor sighed and stood up. Suddenly a wave of discomfort with how useless he truly was in here hit him and he began pacing. Why was he even here? He wasn’t a code cracker like Lizzie or an innovative out-of-the-box thinker like Ripred and Teslas. He was a... Gregor frowned and stopped in his tracks. What even was he? A warrior?

He bit his lip at the thought of how much he had always protested against the name. Ironically, it seemed to be the only thing he was actually good at, down here.

“Gregor, what’s the matter?” His dad was looking at him from where he had sat down, a little offside, to study the scrolls of code as well.

Gregor reluctantly made his way over to him. “I want to go see mom”, he mumbled, “I’ve not seen her since the battle. Is she okay?”

His dad nodded. “She’s even allowed out of bed now, well, when the palace isn’t on lockdown, of course”, he smiled. “I think she’s been getting along really well –” Yet he was interrupted by Lizzie’s excited cry – “An anagram – of Gregor’s name!”

They both turned to her and Gregor opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but before he could say anything, Reflex the spider spoke in a quivering voice – “In the naming is the catching...”

“Maybe... that line wasn’t about my name at all!” Lizzie dropped her marker and snatched up the piece of code. Gregor frowned and took a step towards her, yet she ignored him as she read, her lips moving silently over the letters.

When she looked up, her next words were barely audible. “Gre-gor. Gor-ger. I think... I know how to break the code!”

Click. Gregor could barely keep his focus on the ceiling as he sleepily clicked his tongue. He was exhausted beyond belief, but sleep wouldn’t come to him. He had managed to get a few hours in after spending what must have been the rest of the day decoding endless scrolls of old code.

At least the rats had seized scratching, shortly after Lizzie had cracked the code. Like they had somehow felt it. Gregor shook his head, nonsense. They probably just needed to sleep too, at some point.

Nerissa had come to visit, only a couple hours ago, to bring food, and news about how the evacuation was going. The palace was overflowing with refugees from the city, and the hospital was getting fuller with the day, but the people had been evacuated successfully. Nerissa said she had announced to move some of the refugees to the Fount soon, whenever they could travel safely.

They had done without an official coronation this time, due to the general state of emergency, and Gregor knew she hated being queen again, yet he couldn’t help but think she was doing a great job. She had had to go back soon though, as with her new duties, and Ripred had enlisted him, his dad, Temp, and Teslas to decode whatever they could find, in the hope to find something useful. It had mostly been mundane junk though, and at some point, his dad had sent him to bed, claiming they’d manage without him. Boots they had at some point brought back to the nursery that harbored Dulcet, Cartesian, and the baby mice. She was of little use here.

Despite not being injured, he still felt banged up and sore from yesterday’s battle, and despite his exhaustion, he failed to calm his thoughts. Lizzie had broken the code.

 _Since the princess is the key, to unlock the treachery, she can not avoid the matching, or the scratching, scratching, scratching._ Gregor moved his lips to silently form the words he had by now memorized. _When a secret plot is hatching, in the naming is the catching, what she saw it is the flaw, of the code of claw._

He shook his head. That his name, of all things, would be the key to the code. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed strange they had used Gorger’s name as the key, and not the Bane’s...

Gregor shuddered when he realized the prophecy had already come true to this point – and what the next part was. _When the monster’s blood is spilled,_ he swallowed, _when the warrior has been killed..._

Unnerved, Gregor rose from his sheets. He clicked his tongue to make sure he wouldn’t run into anything and trotted out of the human bedchamber past his sleeping dad with Boots and Lizzie into the dark code room.

Was it time now? Now that the code had been broken, was it time for him to have his final battle with the Bane? For him to die? Gregor pressed his lips together and attempted to suppress the images that instantly flooded his head. Of his parents, his sisters, whom the Regalians would have to inform of his death. _I am afraid he will not come back. The warrior has fallen by slaying the Bane, as the prophecy foretold._

Gregor shook his head, yet only as he pressed his forehead to the cold stone he felt his swirling thoughts somewhat calming. He leaned his back on the wall and sank to the floor. His thoughts wandered back to New York, to his... home? Was it his home? Gregor clicked his tongue again and took in the room. It had been for such a long time, yet...

If I really die here, he thought, maybe I should make a list. He remembered a day when he had been around six, he had overheard a conversation between his dad and his grandmother. She had wanted him to take her to see a Broadway musical. He had argued the tickets were much to expensive, yet she had insisted it was something from her... list.

 _It’s called a bucket list,_ she had later explained, _a list of things you make, to do or see before you die._ Then she had patted his head, saying he could take his time with making one as his death was decades away. Well, not anymore.

A... bucket list, Gregor thought. If he would really die soon, he could no longer take his time. His hand instantly cupped the spot where he expected the pocket of his pants to be, yet of course he was dressed in Underland-garments, and those had no pockets. Then again, Gregor made a face. Even if he had a pocket with something to write in it, he could hardly write in the dark.

Or – he clicked his tongue and located the oil lamp that had previously illuminated the room. Gregor sighed, maybe he could make light after all. Who knew if he’d be sent into battle again tomorrow? Who knew if he’d ever find another quiet moment?

He stood up and used his echolocation to locate and light the lamp. In it’s flickering light he saw a stash of code scrolls scattered on the floor, and randomly picked one up before sitting down with it. Maybe he could use the back side.

He twisted the scroll and realized they hadn’t even decoded this one yet. Might as well see what it says before I scribble all over something important, Gregor thought, and quickly noted down the text in letters before applying Lizzie’s system.

UXJUDIUJQ. ETDBQEF. QJU.

Gregor’s heart skipped a beat and the scroll nearly slipped from his hand. Only barely he prevented a laugh from escaping his mouth.

“Something funny?”

His head jerked up as he saw Ripred in the doorway to the room he had slept in. “Oh, I...”, he held the scroll up, “They’ve found out Twitchtip escaped. That’s what it says.”

“Of course they have”, Ripred drew closer. “Anything useful in there as well? Like...”, he moved closer and sat down next to Gregor, “Solovet’s name, perhaps?”

Gregor looked up. “That would be... proof”, he mumbled and Ripred nodded. “Indisputable proof.” He picked up a scroll for himself, before lowering it again. “So, have I truly heard you click your tongue earlier?”

Gregor looked up and deliberately casually shrugged. “Yeah. I figured out the echolocation, like, a while ago.”

Ripred let out a low growl. “And you didn’t even TELL me?”

Gregor narrowed his eyes at him. “What’s it to you? It’s not like you’re my teacher anymore or anything.”

Ripred actually hesitated for a moment before breaking into suppressed laughter. “Oh, oh no – are you actually sassing me?”, he giggled on, “The lad’s truly had a bad influence on you.”

Gregor just made a face and turned to look back at the scroll he was holding. “He’s told me to not let you push me around”, he shrugged again, “and so I promised. Hey, why didn’t you invite Vikus to your little meeting earlier, actually?”, he looked back up, “He should know Luxa is alive.” Gregor shuddered at the thought of the friendly old man passing out at the news of her death.

“We can’t afford to tell him yet”, Ripred hummed, “for if we tell him, he will ask why Solovet lied, and I think I don’t have to explain why it would be a bad decision to let him in on Solovet’s betrayal just yet.”

There was hardly anything Gregor could answer to that. He didn’t even want to imagine being the one to tell Vikus about Solovet’s betrayal.

“Hey, if you’re so opposed to my echolocation lessons, how about we get some of this work done instead?”, Ripred shoved some fresher scrolls at Gregor, who dropped the one with the note about Twitchtip and nodded. About anything was better than an echolocation lesson with Ripred.

It was quiet as they worked, and with each passing second Gregor wondered more why the usually so lazy rat wasn’t in bed. He could hardly be kept up by pain, could he? His injury had been treated, though it still looked vicious, and for the first time Gregor asked himself how he had even received it. Who ever even came so close to Ripred he could scratch him?

After some ten minutes of quiet working he opened his mouth to finally ask when Ripred lowered the scroll he had been studying. Both of them could by now decipher the chicken scratch and the encryption on sight, and Gregor’s eyes widened as Ripred passed him the scroll to read.

“When – signal – comes – launch – attack.” He looked up, about a hundred alarms went off in his head. “We need to – wait, what signal?”

Ripred angrily snatched the scroll back, “One from Solovet, I’d wager. The important part is, it says the attack is to be launched from the river. And as luck – or a certain commander – would have it, we have no defense at the river.” He sprung to his feet, letting out a long howl unlike anything Gregor had ever heard him produce. Within minutes the code team was all up and on their feet, and Ripred and Gregor disclosed what they’d discovered.

“This scroll is but half a day old”, the rat claimed as he began pacing, “so it is not too late yet. I have to go and inform Nerissa and the council, and you all –”, he glanced around, “you will have to split up. If the rats should enter the palace, we can’t have you all sitting in one bunch. I want this team disassembled in the next hour.” And though he saw his point, Gregor’s heart sunk at the mere prospect of the rats ever getting as far as into the palace.

Ripred ordered Lizzie, Hazard, their dad, and Daedalus to remain here, to shred every piece of evidence they’d broken the code. Then he directed Min, Reflex, and Teslas into the war room, but before he could speak on, Teslas interrupted him – “I will seek out the council first, if you don’t mind.” He exchanged a glance with Gregor’s dad, “The code is broken now, and if I remember correctly, you, Gregor, and Lizzie, as well as Blake, claimed my skill could aid the soldiers. I’ve something in mind already. Just have to ask where to set up a workshop.”

Ripred hesitated before nodding. “Very well.” His gaze wandered to meet Gregor’s dad, “What about you? I’m sure you’ve skills to aid us too.”

Gregor felt his dad’s hand on his shoulder. “I will, but after this attack is over.” He glanced at Lizzie, “I can not leave her alone for now.”

Ripred acknowledged his decision with a nod and they watched Teslas leaving first, closely followed by Min and Reflex.

Finally, he ordered Gregor into the prophecy room. “I’ll send someone with a key”, he pondered, “lock yourselves in and don’t open it until you’ve been told to.”

“Shouldn’t I get ready for battle?”, Gregor protested, but Ripred cut him off. “This is no time for you to be risking your life. For all we know this attack is staged or a mere distraction, you can not rush into it mindlessly. You”, he came to a halt before Gregor, “must prepare to face the Bane, as soon as opportunity presents itself. And what if you get injured now? What if it puts you out of commission? What are we to do then? Conjure up another warrior from the air?”

Gregor hated admitting Ripred was right, but... Ripred was right. His fist clenched, looks like he’d once again be sitting idle while all his friends were fighting. Well, maybe he would at least get to make that bucket list now.

“Don’t worry, he’ll hardly participate in this battle”, Ripred snarled as he pushed him at the door, “you have taken good care of his tail last time. We’ll see how he will manage. Whether the spinners will help him. If I remember correctly, you all didn’t include them on your ally-gather-trip, did you?”

Gregor made a face and remained silent. They had indeed neglected the spinners. He shuddered at the thought as to what consequences that could have now.

“What about my mom and Boots?”, he finally asked, but Ripred shook his head. “We’ll move Boots and the mouse pups to the hospital, Temp can accompany them.” He nodded at the cockroach, “That can be sealed off. Don’t worry, just go! I’ve got it handled!”

The way to the prophecy room was short, and at the door waited to his surprise Nerissa with a lamp and a key, as well as a young woman in the attire of a servant with a stack of blankets and pillows, some food, and several cannisters of water.

Gregor had already opened his mouth to ask why Nerissa was here, when he looked closer and his eyes widened as he recognized the woman.

“Y... you?”

Nerissa exchanged a glance with her before unlocking the room of prophecies. “Oh, right, you’ve met Dalia before. She has followed the children of York and Susannah when they were ordered to Regalia, some week ago. Their parents are in battle, and they’ve deemed Regalia safer than their home.”

Gregor nearly stumbled over the doorframe as he tried to follow Nerissa into the room while keeping his eyes on Dalia. “I... it’s good to see you”, he mumbled and she shot him a smile. “You too, Overlander.”

“Hey, how have you been doing?” He joined her in hauling the stuff she had brought into the room. At the same time, he caught his first good glimpse at her and his smile widened. “You look great!”

He vividly remembered the bony girl with the nigh-translucent skin and the rings around her large, violet eyes and stared in disbelief at the woman who shared the features, but nothing else. She had gained weight and the rings around her eyes had disappeared. She looks like she smiles a lot now, Gregor thought, and instinctively smiled again himself.

“Thank you”, she sat the stash down in a corner and turned, to watch Nerissa lock the door. “I’ve been doing quite well.”

“I can see that – hey, are you staying with us?”

Dalia rummaged through the goods before handing out pillows and blankets, “So I’ve been ordered. Chim, Hero, Kent, and Stellovet are at the hospital with Howard.”

“Well, at least I’ll be having nice company in here, then.”

The next half an hour they passed by telling stories, Gregor asked Dalia about her life at the Fount and how she and Stellovet were getting along. She explained that, over the course of the last half a year, they had treated her with much fairness and she had been compelled to discover her work could be fun as well.

Stellovet was still hard to deal with at times, but Dalia said the episode with Longclaw had not left her unscathed – in the best way imaginable.

Gregor nearly shook his head in something like amusement – who’d have thought being kidnapped by rats could have a positive effect? Then he remembered Henry and how much of a positive effect his ordeals as an outcast had had on him, and thought it must not be an uncommon thing for bad things to have good consequences.

Then, Gregor couldn’t keep his curiosity as to why Nerissa, who was now queen, had been ordered into this room and not the war room or her quarters. Her answer was as simple as it was sensible – “It is one of the few rooms in the palace with a door. It will offer some protection. For the warrior and for the queen.”

Shortly after Dalia, with Gregor’s help, distributed the food she had brought and after they had eaten, sent Nerissa and Gregor to bed.

Gregor didn’t know how long he had slept as he slowly drifted into waking. He instantly focused on whether he could hear sounds of battle outside the door, but apart from occasional footsteps or voices it was silent. Had the rats attacked? Were the humans prepared? Why had no one updated them?

Yet when he asked Nerissa, who had also been awake as opposed to Dalia who lied sleeping now, if they could open the door to look, she adamantly refused. “This is not your battle, Gregor”, she shook her head. “This is your time to wait.”

Waiting, it turned out, was a lot tougher on Gregor than fighting. Nerissa tried to distract him by showing him different prophecies, telling him their histories. He learned a lot about Regalia’s past, but not much about its present.

Eventually, she directed him towards a spot on the floor, as far from the door as possible. “Do you know which prophecy this is?”

Gregor squinted to make out the tiny words. He thought he’d need a magnifying glass to properly read it. “The... Death Rider?”, he eventually thought he made out and Nerissa smiled. “It is the prophecy I gave you for Henry.”

“It’s... about him, isn’t it?”

She smiled and nodded.

Gregor cowered down on the floor and put Nerissa’s lantern next to the prophecy, but still had trouble deciphering the miniature letters, but he stuck with it, to satiate his curiosity. He hadn’t read the prophecy back when Nerissa had first given a copy of it to him, so he thought it was about time.

As he took in the more than cryptic words he thought some of it sounded very much like Henry. “Condemner, savior has become”, he finally mumbled the last line and looked up to see Nerissa smile. “As he has.”

“As he has”, echoed Gregor, and sat back up. “He’s... really changed, you know?” For the first time he considered Nerissa hadn’t seen her brother in ages. How much must she miss him?

“I know.” To Gregor’s surprise, she smiled. “Though, Henry is not to be worried about. He will find his fate, so the prophecy says. And for me, who has known my brother my whole life, it is easy to believe.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Gregor’s eyes trailed back to the door. “Okay, how about now? Like, what’s one little peek going to hurt?”

“Look at this poem, Gregor”, she ignored him and held the lantern higher, to illuminate the wall above the Prophecy of the Death Rider. “It is by far my favorite. When all seems lost, I comfort myself with its words.”

Gregor sighed and turned his eyes to a short poem on the wall, only now registering this was the corner where Nerissa usually curled up.

_On soft feet, by none detected._

_Dealing death, by most rejected._

_Killed by claw, since resurrected._

_Marked by x, two lines connected._

_Finally, they intersected._

_Two lines met, one unexpected._

“This comforts you? Why?” Gregor stared at the words, unsure whether he just didn’t understand them or had not enough information. To him it didn’t really sound comforting at all. Just confusing.

“Read the title” Nerissa held the lantern higher.

For the first time, Gregor registered the poem had a title. “The Peacemaker?” Well, maybe that could be considered somewhat comforting. “So you think a peacemaker’s coming? When?”

“No one knows. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps in a thousand years. But the peacemaker will come. Just as the warrior did.”

For some reason, her words took him back to his first visit in Regalia. _And the prophecy calls Gregor the warrior, after all. Not the peacemaker._ It had been what Solovet had said to Vikus, before –

Almost angrily he shook his head. He didn’t want to be reminded of Solovet now. Instead, he turned his eyes back on the poem, yet when he read it again, Gregor frowned. “That’s... wait, that’s it?”

“Yes”, Nerissa tilted her head, “why?”

“I don’t know...”, he ran his fingers over it, “it seems kind of... incomplete. Hm, maybe that’s just me. But it falls flat at the end, sort of”, Gregor tried putting his thoughts into words.

Nerissa stepped closer and studied the words as well. “You are not... wrong, but I always felt like it was supposed to be this way. Why would Sandwich leave it unfinished, after all?”

Gregor wanted to answer but both he and Nerissa winced as the sound of claws scraping the door disrupted the silence. His heartbeat elevated, Gregor thought he could almost feel the rager-sensation knocking on the door of his conscience already, even though there was no fight yet.

They exchanged a glance before he darted over to where he had left his sword. He took it, aimed, and drove it right through a small crack in the wood.

“Well, at least you’re being smart about it.” A wave of relief washed over Gregor as he recognized Ripred’s voice. “Open up in there! The palace is secure!”

Nerissa unlocked the door at once and in the frame stood Ripred, visibly banged up and bloody, but mostly unharmed. Questions began pouring out of Gregor’s mouth but Ripred cut him off. “Many are dead, but everyone of significance to you still breathes. We were able to defend the city thanks to your sister breaking the Code of Claw. The rats have been driven away, but they will regroup and rally around the Bane.”

He took a deep breath, regarding Nerissa, Dalia, who had woken up from the commotion, and then Gregor. “We need you in the war room now, boy.” He turned to Nerissa. “I will send instructions for the rest of you later. Until then, sit tight.”


End file.
